A bill to amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft containing nonedible migratory bird parts, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.2577 | Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan (R-AK)
Policy area: Animals

Summary:
This bill states that nothing in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits possessing, selling, bartering, purchasing, shipping, or transporting any authentic Alaska Native handicraft, clothing, or art on the basis that it contains a nonedible migratory bird part, so long as the bird was not taken in a wasteful manner.

To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment of 
  authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft containing nonedible 
             migratory bird parts, 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. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to clarify the treatment of authentic 
Alaska Native articles of handicraft under--
            (1) the Convention between the United States and Great 
        Britain for the Protection of Migratory Birds, signed at 
        Washington August 16, 1916 (USTS 628) (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.);
            (2) the Convention between the United States and Mexico for 
        the Protection of Migratory Birds and Game Mammals, signed at 
        Mexico City February 7, 1936 (USTS 912) (16 U.S.C. 703 et 
        seq.);
            (3) the Convention between the United States and Japan for 
        the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of 
        Extinction and Their Environment, signed at Tokyo March 4, 1974 
        (TIAS 7990) (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.); and
            (4) the Convention between the United States and the Soviet 
        Union Concerning the Conservation of Migratory Birds and Their 
        Environment, signed at Moscow November 19, 1976 (TIAS 9073) (16 
        U.S.C. 703 et seq.).

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION FOR ALASKA NATIVE ARTICLES CONTAINING MIGRATORY 
              BIRD PARTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2 of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 
U.S.C. 703) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Clarification for Authentic Alaska Native Articles of 
Handicraft.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Alaska native.--The term `Alaska Native' 
                means a member of any Indian Tribe (as defined in 
                section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) that is 
                based in the State of Alaska.
                    ``(B) Authentic alaska native article of 
                handicraft.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The term `authentic 
                        Alaska Native article of handicraft' means any 
                        item that is--
                                    ``(I) composed, wholly or in a 
                                significant respect, of natural 
                                materials; and
                                    ``(II) produced, decorated, or 
                                fashioned by hand in significant part--
                                            ``(aa) by an Alaska Native;
                                            ``(bb) in the exercise of 
                                        traditional Alaska Native 
                                        handicrafts; and
                                            ``(cc) without the use of 
                                        any mass copying device.
                            ``(ii) Inclusions.--The term `authentic 
                        Alaska Native article of handicraft' includes--
                                    ``(I) any weaving, carving, 
                                stitching, sewing, lacing, beading, 
                                drawing, or painting that meets the 
                                criteria described in clause (i); and
                                    ``(II) any item, including 
                                clothing, described in subclause (I) 
                                that combines the techniques described 
                                in that subclause.
            ``(2) Clarification for certain authentic alaska native 
        articles of handicraft.--Subject to paragraph (3) and 
        notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, nothing in 
        this Act prohibits the possession, offering for sale, sale, 
        offering to barter, barter, offering to purchase, purchase, 
        delivery for shipment, shipment, causing to be shipped or 
        delivered for transportation, transport, causing to be 
        transported, carrying, causing to be carried, or receiving for 
        shipment, transportation, or carriage of any authentic Alaska 
        Native article of handicraft on the basis that the authentic 
        Alaska Native article of handicraft contains a nonedible 
        migratory bird part.
            ``(3) Limitation.--This subsection does not apply to an 
        authentic Alaska Native article of handicraft containing a part 
        of a migratory bird that was taken in a wasteful manner.''.
    (b) Technical Amendment.--Section 2(a) of the Migratory Bird Treaty 
Act (16 U.S.C. 703) is amended by inserting a comma after ``March 4, 
1972''.
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