ARTIST Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5694 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5694 To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 6, 2025 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska's Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition Act'' or the ``ARTIST Act''. SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE HANDICRAFTS. Section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act Of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1371(b)) is amended to read as follows: ``(b) Exemption for Alaskan Natives.-- ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection: ``(A) Authentic alaska native article of handicrafts and clothing.--The term `authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing' means an item composed wholly, or in some significant respect, of natural materials that is produced, decorated, or fashioned in the exercise of traditional Alaska Native handicrafts by an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who resides in Alaska and who dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean without the use of a pantograph, multiple carvers, or any other mass copying device. ``(B) Marine mammal ivory.--The term `marine mammal ivory' includes a tooth or tusk from a species of walrus, narwhal, or whale. ``(C) Tradi