2023 California Code › Health and Safety Code - HSC › DIVISION 7 - DEAD BODIES › PART 2 - DISINTERMENT AND REMOVAL › CHAPTER 5 - California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation › ARTICLE 2 - State Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation › Section 8016.

8016. (a) An agency or museum receiving a repatriation request pursuant to Section 8014 shall repatriate human remains and cultural items if all of the following criteria have been met:
(1) The requested human remains or cultural items meet the definitions of human remains or cultural items that are subject to inventory and summary requirements under subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 8013.
(2) The lineal descendent, state aboriginal territory, or state cultural affiliation of the human remains or cultural items is established as required under this section.
(3) The agency or museum is unable to present evidence that, if standing alone before the introduction of evidence to the contrary, would support a finding that the agency or museum has a right of possession to the requested cultural items.
(4) None of the exemptions listed in Section 10.10(c) of Title 43 of the Federal Code of Regulations apply. Scientific research shall be concluded within a reasonable period of time.
(5) All other applicable requirements of regulations adopted under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.), contained in Part 10 of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations, have been met, including, but not limited to, the completion of a summary and inventory, consultation with California Indian tribes, publication of notices of inventory completion and notices of intent to repatriate in the Federal Register, and, prior to disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains to a tribe not recognized by the federal government, obtainment of the concurrence of the United States Department of the Interior.
(b) If there are no other requests for particular human remains or cultural items and there is no unresolved objection pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), the agency or museum shall repatriate the requested human remains or cultural items to the requesting California Indian tribe or group within 90 days after posting the request for repatriation on the commission’s internet website, unless a notice of inventory completion or notice of intent to repatriate also is required under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.). If the federal notice period extends beyond the 90-day period, the agency or museum shall repatriate the requested human remains or cultural items to the requesting California Indian tribe or group within 30 days following the completion of the federal notice period. Repatriation deadlines specified in this subdivision may be waived upon agreement of all parties.
(c) Within 30 days after notice has been provided by the commission, the museum or agency shall have the right to file with the commission any objection to the requested repatriation, based on its good faith belief that the requested human remains or cultural items are not culturally affiliated with the requesting California Indian tribe, have not been removed from the California Indian tribe’s state aboriginal territory, or are not subject to repatriation under this chapter.
(d) If there is more than one request for repatriation for the same item, if there is a dispute between the requesting party and the agency or museum, if there is a dispute as to the contents of an inventory or summary, or if a dispute arises in relation to the repatriation process, the commission shall notify the affected parties of this fact and the state cultural affiliation or state aboriginal territory of the item in question shall be determined in accordance with this subdivision.
(1) The disputing parties shall submit documentation describing the nature of the dispute, in accordance with standard mediation practices and the commission’s procedures, to the commission, which shall, in turn, forward the documentation to the opposing party or parties. The disputing parties shall meet within 30 days of the date of the mailing of the documentation with the goal of settling the dispute.
(2) If, after meeting, the parties are unable to settle the dispute, the commission, or a certified mediator who has the qualifications and experience appropriate to the dispute’s circumstances and has been designated by the commission, shall mediate the dispute. If the museum or agency is subject to the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.), any party also may request the assistance of the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee in resolving the dispute.
(3) Each disputing party shall submit complaints and supporting evidence to the commission or designated mediator and the other opposing parties detailing their positions on the disputed issues in accordance with standard mediation practices and the commission’s mediation procedures. Each party shall have 20 days from the date the complaint and supporting evidence were mailed to respond to the complaints. All responses shall be submitted to the opposing party or parties and the commission or designated mediator.
(4) The commission or designated mediator shall review all complaints, responses, and supporting evidence submitted. Within 20 days after the date of submission of responses, the commission or designated mediator shall hold a mediation session and the parties shall come to a resolution or the mediator shall render a written decision within 7 days of the mediation session.
(5) When the disposition of human remains or cultural items is disputed, the party in possession of the human remains or cultural items shall retain possession until the mediation process is completed. Transfer or loan of human remains or cultural items shall not occur until the dispute is resolved.
(6) Deference shall be provided to tribal traditional knowledge, oral histories, documentation, and testimonies relative to other relevant categories of evidence.
(7) If the parties are unable to resolve a dispute through mediation, the dispute shall be resolved by the commission. The determination of the commission shall be deemed to constitute a final administrative remedy. Any party to the dispute seeking a review of the determination of the commission is entitled to file an action in the superior court seeking an independent judgment on the record as to whether the commission’s decision is reasonable. The independent review shall not constitute a de novo review of a decision by the commission, but shall be limited to a review of the evidence on the record. Petitions for review shall be filed with the court not later than 30 days after the final decision of the commission.
(8) No later than June 30, 2021, the commission shall develop and adopt mediation procedures that will recognize the need for mediators with qualifications and experience appropriate to a dispute’s circumstances. Dispute procedures may incorporate aspects of restorative justice practices.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 167, Sec. 10. (AB 275) Effective January 1, 2021.)