The Legislature declares that programs for the efficient and economical management of state and local records will promote economy and efficiency in the day-to-day record-keeping activities of state and local government and will facilitate and expedite government operations; that records containing information essential to the operation of government and to the protection of the rights and interests of persons must be protected against the destructive effects of all forms of disaster and must be available when needed. It is necessary, therefore, to adopt special provisions for the selection and preservation of essential state and local records thereby providing for the protection and availability of such information.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 5A-8-2

  • Disaster: means any occurrence of fire, flood, storm, earthquake, explosion, epidemic, riot, sabotage, or other condition of extreme peril resulting in substantial damage or injury to persons or property within this state, whether such occurrence is caused by an act of God, nature, or man, including an enemy of the United States. See West Virginia Code 5A-8-3
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10