National Museum of the American Indian Act Amendments of 1996

Summary: National Museum of the American Indian Act Amendments of 1996 - Amends the National Museum of the American Indian Act to require the Smithsonian Institution to:  (1) complete the inventory of the Indian human remains and Indian funerary objects in the possession or control of the Smithsonian Institution by June 1998; (2) provide a written summary of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony; and (3) expedite the repatriation of such objects where a requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show cultural affiliation. 
Modifies certain provisions respecting the special committee to review the inventory, identification, and return of Indian human remains and Indian funerary objects.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National Museum of 
the American Indian Act Amendments of 1996''.
    (b) References.--Whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is 
expressed in terms of an amendment to or repeal of a section or other 
provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
other provision of the National Museum of the American Indian Act (20 
U.S.C. 80q et seq.).

SEC. 2. BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

    Section 5(f)(1)(B) (20 U.S.C. 80q-3(f)(1)(B)) is amended by 
striking ``an Assistant Secretary'' and inserting ``a senior 
official''.

SEC. 3. INVENTORY.

    (a) In General.--Section 11(a) (20 U.S.C. 80q-9(a)) is amended--
        (1) by striking ``(1)'' and inserting ``(A)'';
        (2) by striking ``(2)'' and inserting ``(B)'';
        (3) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary''; and
        (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(2) The inventory made by the Secretary of the Smithsonian 
Institution under paragraph (1) shall be completed not later than June 
1, 1998.
    ``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term `inventory' means a 
simple, itemized list that, to the extent practicable, identifies, 
based upon available information held by the Smithsonian Institution, 
the geographic and cultural affiliation of the remains and objects 
referred to in paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 11(f) (20 U.S.C. 80q-
9(f)) is amended by striking ``to carry out this section'' and 
inserting ``to carry out this section and section 11A''.
SEC. 4. SUMMARY AND REPATRIATION OF UNASSOCIATED FUNERARY OBJECTS, 
SACRED OBJECTS, AND CULTURAL PATRIMONY.
    The National Museum of the American Indian Act (20 U.S.C. 80q et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 11 the following new 
section:
``SEC. 11A. SUMMARY AND REPATRIATION OF UNASSOCIATED FUNERARY OBJECTS, 
SACRED OBJECTS, AND CULTURAL PATRIMONY.
    ``(a) Summary.--Not later than December 31, 1996, the Secretary of 
the Smithsonian Institution shall provide a written summary that 
contains a summary of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, 
and objects of cultural patrimony (as those terms are defined in 
subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), respectively, of section 2(3) of the 
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 
3001(3)), based upon available information held by the Smithsonian 
Institution. The summary required under this section shall include, at 
a minimum, the information required under section 6 of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3004).
    ``(b) Repatriation.--Where cultural affiliation of Native American 
unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural 
patrimony has been established in the summary prepared pursuant to 
subsection (a), or where a requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization can show cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the 
evidence based upon geographical, kinship, biological, archaeological, 
anthropological, linguistic, folkloric, oral traditional, historical, 
or other relevant information or expert opinion, then the Smithsonian 
Institution shall expeditiously return such unassociated funerary 
object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony where--
        ``(1) the requesting party is the direct lineal descendant of 
    an individual who owned the unassociated funerary object or sacred 
    object;
        ``(2) the requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
    organization can show that the object was owned or controlled by 
    the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization; or
        ``(3) the requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
    organization can show that the unassociated funerary object or 
    sacred object was owned or controlled by a member thereof, provided 
    that in the case where an unassociated funerary object or sacred 
    object was owned by a member thereof, there are no identifiable 
    lineal descendants of said member or the lineal descendants, upon 
    notice, have failed to make a claim for the object.
    ``(c) Standard of Repatriation.--If a known lineal descendant or an 
Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization requests the return of 
Native American unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or 
objects of cultural patrimony pursuant to this Act and presents 
evidence which, if standing alone before the introduction of evidence 
to the contrary, would support a finding that the Smithsonian 
Institution did not have the right of possession, then the Smithsonian 
Institution shall return such objects unless it can overcome such 
inference and prove that it has a right of possession to the objects.
    ``(d) Museum Obligation.--Any museum of the Smithsonian Institution 
which repatriates any item in good faith pursuant to this Act shall not 
be liable for claims by an aggrieved party or for claims of fiduciary 
duty, public trust, or violations of applicable law that are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act.
    ``(e) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to prevent the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with 
respect to any museum of the Smithsonian Institution, from making an 
inventory or preparing a written summary or carrying out the 
repatriation of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or 
objects of cultural patrimony in a manner that exceeds the requirements 
of this Act.
    ``(f) Native Hawaiian Organization Defined.--For purposes of this 
section, the term `Native Hawaiian organization' has the meaning 
provided that term in section 2(11) of the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001(11)).''.

SEC. 5. SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

    Section 12 (20 U.S.C. 80q-10) is amended--
        (1) in the first sentence of subsection (a), by inserting ``and 
    unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of 
    cultural patrimony under section 11A'' before the period; and
        (2) in subsection (b)--
            (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``five'' and inserting ``7'';
            (B) in paragraph (1)--
                (i) by striking ``three'' and inserting ``4''; and
                (ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
            (D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
        ``(2) at least 2 members shall be traditional Indian religious 
    leaders; and''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.