II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1965 

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

practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and 

traditional mammoth ivory products, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 17, 2017 

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 

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 traditional mammoth 

ivory products, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Allowing Alaska to 

5 Improve Vital Opportunities in the Rural Economy Act’’ 

6 or the ‘‘Allowing Alaska IVORY Act’’. 


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•S 1965 IS

1 SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE HANDICRAFTS. 

2 Section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

3 of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1371(b)) is amended— 

4 (1) by striking paragraph (1) and all that fol5 lows through ‘‘is done’’ in the first sentence of para6 graph (2) and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(A)(i) is for subsistence purposes; or 

8 ‘‘(ii) is done’’; 

9 (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as subpara10 graph (B), and indenting appropriately; 

11 (3) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)(i) 

12 (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by striking ‘‘(b) 

13 Except as’’ and inserting the following: 

14 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN ALASKA NATIVES.— 

15 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

16 ‘‘(A) AUTHENTIC NATIVE ARTICLE OF

17 HANDICRAFTS AND CLOTHING.—The term ‘au18 thentic native article of handicrafts and cloth19 ing’ means an item composed wholly or in some 

20 significant respect of natural materials that is 

21 produced, decorated, or fashioned in the exer22 cise of traditional native handicrafts without 

23 the use of a pantograph, multiple carvers, or 

24 any other mass copying device. 

25 ‘‘(B) TRADITIONAL NATIVE HANDI26 CRAFTS.—The term ‘traditional native handiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Oct 18, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1965.IS S1965

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1 crafts’ includes weaving, carving, stitching, sew2 ing, lacing, beading, drawing, and painting. 

3 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—Except as’’; 

4 (4) in subparagraph (A)(ii) of paragraph (2) 

5 (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by striking ‘‘and 

6 clothing:’’ and all that follows through ‘‘painting’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘and clothing’’; 

8 (5) in the flush text following subparagraph (B) 

9 of paragraph (2) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), 

10 by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding the preceding provi11 sions of this subsection, when’’ and inserting the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.—Notwithstanding para14 graph (2), if’’; 

15 and 

16 (6) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(4) SPECIAL RULES.— 

18 ‘‘(A) INTERSTATE COMMERCE.—Only au19 thentic native articles of handicrafts and cloth20 ing may be sold in interstate commerce. 

21 ‘‘(B) EDIBLE PORTIONS OF MARINE MAM22 MALS.—Any edible portion of a marine mammal 

23 may be sold in a native village or town in Alas24 ka or for native consumption. 

25 ‘‘(5) PROHIBITIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) WALRUS IVORY OR WHALE BONE.— 

2 No State shall prohibit the importation, sale, 

3 offer for sale, transfer, trade, barter, possession 

4 or possession with the intent to sell, transfer, 

5 trade, or barter of walrus ivory or whale bone 

6 produced under this title by an Indian, Aleut, 

7 or Eskimo as an authentic native article of 

8 handicrafts and clothing. 

9 ‘‘(B) MAMMOTH IVORY.—No State shall 

10 prohibit the importation, sale, offer for sale, 

11 transfer, trade, possession or possession with 

12 the intent to sell, transfer, trade, or barter of 

13 mammoth ivory or a mammoth ivory product.’’. 

Æ 


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