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Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to define what counts as an “authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing,” list types of traditional Alaska Native handicrafts, and create an exemption that allows certain Alaska Natives to take marine mammals for subsistence or to make and sell authentic handicrafts (provided the taking is not wasteful). It sets rules for interstate sale of those handicrafts, permits limited local sale of edible portions, allows the Secretary to regulate takes if a species or stock is found depleted (with notice, hearing, and written finding), and prevents States from restricting commerce in Alaska Native-made marine mammal parts when incorporated into authentic handicrafts while preserving tribal rights and government-to-government consultation.
Defines “authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing” as an item made wholly or in significant part of natural materials and produced, decorated, or fashioned using traditional Alaska Native handicrafts by an Alaska Native who resides in Alaska and dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, and prohibits use of a pantograph, multiple carvers, or other mass copying device in its production.
Defines “marine mammal ivory” to include a tooth or tusk from a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) or a species of cetacean.
Defines “traditional Alaska Native handicrafts” to include weaving, carving, stitching, sewing, lacing, beading, drawing, and painting.
Except as provided in section 109, the Act’s prohibitions do not apply to the taking of any marine mammal by an Alaska Native who resides in Alaska and dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean when the taking is (i) for subsistence purposes, or (ii) for creating and selling authentic Alaska Native articles of handicrafts and clothing, provided in each case the taking is not accomplished in a wasteful manner.
An item presented as an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing may be sold in interstate commerce only if it meets the definition of “authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.”
Primary effects: Alaska Native individuals and communities who rely on marine mammals for subsistence and for creation of traditional handicrafts will gain clearer legal recognition and limited commercial pathways (including interstate sales) for authentic handicrafts. That may increase small-scale economic opportunities for artisans and help sustain cultural practices. Federal agencies responsible for marine mammal protection will have a new statutory framework to manage exempted takes and to act if a species or stock is depleted; their authority to regulate is preserved but conditioned on formal findings and procedures. States lose some ability to restrict commerce in Alaska Native-made handicrafts that contain marine mammal parts, which could reduce local regulatory variance but may prompt state concerns about conservation or commerce. Conservation and wildlife stakeholders may be concerned about expansion of authorized takes, though the bill requires nonwasteful use and creates a formal process for Secretary intervention when depletion is identified. Practical challenges include monitoring and enforcement to distinguish authentic Alaska Native articles from non‑authentic products, ensuring the nonwasteful standard is met in practice, and implementing the Secretary’s procedural requirements (notice, hearing, written finding) in a timely way. Overall, the change is narrowly targeted to balance cultural/sustenance rights and limited commerce with conservation safeguards.
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ARTIST Act
Received in the House.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Daniel Scott Sullivan · Last progress October 10, 2025
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7007-7009; text: CR S7008)