(a) Commissioner authorized to make reproductions and destroy originals. The Commissioner of Human Resources of the State of Alabama is authorized to make or to have made microfilm copies, photostatic copies or other similar photographic reproductions of all books, records, papers or other documents required to be maintained or kept by the Department of Human Resources or any agency, division or employee thereof. The Commissioner of Human Resources is authorized to destroy or cause to be disposed of any books, records, papers or other documents which have been microfilmed, photostated or otherwise photographed. Such microfilms, photostats or other photographs shall be retained and kept in lieu of such books, records, papers or documents required to be kept or maintained.

(b) Effect of reproductions; certification; admission in evidence. Such microfilm copies, photostatic copies or other similar photographic reproductions of such above-named documents shall for all purposes be deemed to be and have the force and effect of such documents themselves. A photostatic copy, photographic reproduction or other similar photographed typewritten copies or other copies of such original microfilm copy, photostatic copy or other similar photographic reproduction of such documents shall be duly certified to by the officer having custody of such original microfilm copy, photostatic copy or other similar photographic reproduction in the Department of Human Resources, and must be received as evidence in all courts in the same manner and to the same extent as would be the duly certified copy of such documents themselves.

(c) Legislative intent. It is hereby declared to be the legislative intent to permit the commissioner to dispose of any books, records, papers or any other documents required by law to be kept or maintained by the Department of Human Resources in the event that photographic reproductions of such books, records, papers or other documents are made or caused to be made by such commissioner, and to give such photographic reproduction the same force and effect as the book, record, paper or other document which has been so photographed and disposed of.