The amount of time records must be kept is determined by ________.

The amount of time records must be kept is primarily determined by individual agencies and certain state licensure laws. This reflects the reality that storage and retention policies can vary significantly based on the agency's operational needs and the legal requirements specific to each state.

Agencies often have procedures in place that comply with broader legislative frameworks to ensure they meet necessary compliance and operational guidelines. Additionally, state licensure laws can impose specific mandates regarding how long various types of client records must be retained, all of which can be influenced by factors like the nature of the service provided and legal accountability requirements.

While federal guidelines exist and might inform some aspects of record retention, they do not universally dictate the retention period across all situations. Client requests for record retention and institutional policies can play roles as well, but they typically operate within the framework established by the agencies and state laws rather than superseding them. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the layered structure of record retention requirements that depend primarily on agency-specific and state legal guidelines.