The division of archives and records management is established in the office of the secretary of state. The division is administered by the state archivist and is the primary archival and records management agency of Washington state government. In order to insure the proper management and safekeeping of public records, the state archivist, through the several sections of the division, carries out the following functions:

(1) Manages the archives of the state of Washington;

(2) Centralizes the archives of the state of Washington to make them available for reference and scholarship, and to insure their proper preservation;

(3) Inspects, inventories, catalogs, and arranges records retention and transfer schedules on all record files of all state departments and other agencies of state government;

(4) Insures the maintenance and security of all state public records and establishes safeguards against unauthorized removal or destruction;

(5) Establishes and operates such state records centers as may from time to time be authorized by appropriation for the purpose of preserving, servicing, screening, and protecting all state public records which must be retained temporarily or permanently, but which need not be kept in office space and equipment;

(6) Adopts rules under chapter 34.05 RCW:

(a) Establishing standards for the durability and permanence of public records maintained by state and local agencies;

(b) Governing procedures for the creation, maintenance, transmission, or reproduction of public documents or records in a manner consistent with current standards, policies, and procedures of the department of information services for the acquisition of information technology;

(c) Governing the accuracy and durability of photographic, optical, electronic, or other images used as public records;

(d) Carrying out other provisions of chapter 40.14 RCW.

(7) Operates a central microfilm bureau which will microfilm, at cost, records approved for filming by the head of the office of origin and the archivist; approves microfilming projects undertaken by state departments and other agencies of state government; and maintains proper standards for this work;

(8) Maintains necessary facilities for the review of records approved for destruction and for their economical disposition; directly supervise such destruction of records as should be authorized by law;

(9) Provides assistance to agencies of local government in records management related matters;

(10) Manages a statewide essential records protection program including the operation of an essential records storage facility, and serves as depository for essential record microfilms for state and local government agencies.