S 254 · 119th Congress · Native Americans

ARTIST Act

Introduced January 24, 2025 Latest action October 10, 2025 1 cosponsor

Sponsor

Latest action

Held at the desk.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Oct 10, 2025

floor Received in the House.

Oct 10, 2025

floor Held at the desk.

Oct 08, 2025

passed Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Oct 08, 2025

passed Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7007-7009; text: CR S7008)

Oct 08, 2025

floor Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Oct 08, 2025 Engrossed in Senate

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Oct 06, 2025 Reported to Senate

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Jan 24, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

00 Introduced in Senate Jan 24, 2025

Alaska’s Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition Act or the ARTIST Act This bill prohibits states from imposing bans on marine mammal products produced by Alaska Natives. Specifically, states may not prohibit the importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter, or possession of marine mammal ivory, marine mammal bone, or baleen legally produced by an Alaska Native as an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

Changelog

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How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

`ih` / `is` — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.

`rfh` / `rfs` — Referred to a committee for review.

`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before `eh`/`es`. Going from `pcs` → `enr` is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+8 −140 35 unchanged

--- Reported (Senate)

+++ Engrossed (Senate)

@@ -1,38 +1,15 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[S. 254 Reported in Senate (RS)]

+[S. 254 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

<DOC>

-Calendar No. 178

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 254

-[Report No. 119-73]

-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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

-January 24, 2025

-Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following

-bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,

-Science, and Transportation

-October 6, 2025

-Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment

-[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed

-in italic]

-_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

+AN ACT

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the

cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native

@@ -40,111 +17,6 @@

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled,

-<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska's Right To Ivory

-Sales and Tradition Act'' or the ``ARTIST Act''.</DELETED>

-<DELETED>SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE HANDICRAFTS.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> Section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act Of 1972

-(16 U.S.C. 1371(b)) is amended to read as follows:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(b) Exemption for Alaskan Natives.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(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.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) Marine mammal ivory.--The term

-`marine mammal ivory' includes a tooth or tusk from a

-species of walrus, narwhal, or whale.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(C) Traditional alaska native

-handicrafts.--The term `traditional Alaska Native

-handicrafts' includes weaving, carving, stitching,

-sewing, lacing, beading, drawing, and

-painting.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(2) Exemption.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in

-section 109, the provisions of this Act shall not apply

-with respect to the taking of any marine mammal by any

-Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who resides in Alaska and who

-dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the

-Arctic Ocean if such taking--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(i)(I) is for subsistence

-purposes; or</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(II) is done for purposes of

-creating and selling authentic Alaska Native

-articles of handicrafts and clothing;

-and</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(ii) in each case, is not

-accomplished in a wasteful manner.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) Special rules.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(i) Interstate commerce of

-items.--An item presented as an authentic

-Alaska Native article of handicrafts and

-clothing may be sold in interstate commerce

-only if it comports with the definition

-provided in paragraph (1)(A).</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(ii) Edible portion of marine

-mammal.--Any edible portion of a marine mammal

-taken for the primary purpose of creating and

-selling authentic Alaska Native articles of

-handicrafts and clothing may be sold in a

-native village or town in Alaska or for native

-consumption.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(3) Limitations.--</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding

-paragraph (2), if, under this Act, the Secretary

-determines any species or stock of marine mammal

-subject to taking by Indians, Aleuts, or Eskimos to be

-depleted, the Secretary may prescribe regulations upon

-the taking of such marine mammals by any Indian, Aleut,

-or Eskimo described in this subsection.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(B) Content of regulations.--The

-regulations described in subparagraph (A) may be

-established with reference to species or stocks,

-geographical description of the area included, the

-season for taking, or any other factors related to the

-reason for establishing such regulations and consistent

-with the purposes of this Act.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(C) Notice and hearing; removal of

-regulations.--The regulations described in subparagraph

-(A) shall be prescribed after notice and hearing

-required by section 103 of this title and shall be

-removed as soon as the Secretary determines that the

-need for their imposition has disappeared.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(D) Regulations to be supported by

-substantial evidence.--In promulgating any regulation

-or making any assessment pursuant to a hearing or

-proceeding under this subsection or section 117(b)(2),

-or in making any determination of depletion under this

-subsection or finding regarding unmitigable adverse

-impacts under subsection (a)(5) that affects stocks or

-persons to which this subsection applies, the Secretary

-shall demonstrate in writing (and make such writing

-publicly available on the website of the Secretary)

-that, in consideration of the whole record, including

-Indigenous knowledge, such regulation, assessment,

-determination, or finding is supported by substantial

-evidence. The preceding sentence shall only be

-applicable in an action brought by one or more Alaska

-Native organizations representing persons to which this

-subsection applies.</DELETED>

-<DELETED> ``(4) Prohibitions.--No State shall prohibit the

-importation, sale, offer for sale, transfer, trade, barter,

-possession, or possession with the intent to sell, transfer,

-trade, or barter of marine mammal ivory or marine mammal bone

-or baleen incorporated under this title by an Indian, Aleut, or

-Eskimo, into an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts

-and clothing.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

@@ -253,26 +125,22 @@

to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act; or

``(B) undermine any government-to-government

consultation or engagement.''.

-Calendar No. 178

+Passed the Senate October 8, 2025.

+Attest:

+Secretary.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 254

-[Report No. 119-73]

_______________________________________________________________________

-A BILL

+AN ACT

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.

-_______________________________________________________________________

-October 6, 2025

-Reported with an amendment

Cosponsors (1)

Members who signed on to support this bill.

Murkowski R