Collection: Department of Health and Human Services | Maine State Archives

Scope and Contents

The Maine State Archives (MSA) collects and holds the permanent historical records of the Maine State Government. MSA was created in 1965. By 1971, MSA housed the historical records that had been held by the Secretary of State, Legislature, Courts and Executive Departments. This included records from defunct agencies.

With the implementation of a records management system, groups of records were identified as having permanent historical value and were sent to the Archives after a designated period of time. These included Commissioner/Executive correspondence, meeting minutes from Boards and Commissions, as well as department-specific records.

Dates

1939 -

Biographical / Historical

The State Board of Health was formed in 1885. The name was changed to the Department of Health in 1917, and by 1931 the new Department of Health and Welfare was organized.

Effective July 1, 2004, the Governor and the Legislature created the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) by combining and reorganizing the former Department of Human Services (DHS) and the former Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services (BDS). The organizational framework for the new department was established the following year by Public Law 2005, Ch. 412.