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 3.5 - Handling, Maintenance, and Repatriation of Native American Human Remains and Cultural Items at the California State University › Section 8028.7.

8028.7. (a) In order to better implement the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.) and this chapter, the California State University shall do all of the following:
(1) Facilitate the establishment, composition, and function of systemwide and campus-level committees, established pursuant to Section 8028.71, with respect to reviewing and advising the university on matters related to the university’s implementation of legal requirements to increase repatriation outcomes or dispositions of Native American human remains and cultural items to California Indian tribes.
(2) (A) Adopt and implement systemwide policies regarding the culturally appropriate treatment of Native American human remains and cultural items, including a policy that prohibits the use of Native American human remains or cultural items for the purposes of teaching or research at the California State University while in the possession of a California State University campus or museum. The systemwide policies shall also include policies regarding tribal research and testing requests, California State University campus and museum reporting requirements to the CSU Systemwide NAGPRA Committee established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 8028.71, and culturally appropriate best practices and training concerning repatriation.
(B) Adopt and implement clear and transparent policies and procedures on the systemwide requirements for submitting, processing, and implementing claims for the repatriation of human remains and cultural items, demonstrating cultural affiliation, notification to tribes of human remains and cultural items deemed culturally affiliated and unidentifiable and from whose state aboriginal territory the items were removed, but that are not subject to a repatriation claim, dispute resolution regarding repatriation claims, and any other relevant subject governed by the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.), Part 10 (commencing with Section 10.1) of Subtitle A of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and this chapter.
(C) Adopt or amend systemwide California State University museum collection management policies to explicitly provide for the deaccession of collections containing Native American human remains and cultural items to effect the timely and respectful return of those items pursuant to valid claims submitted by a California Indian tribe.
(D) Adopt systemwide California State University policies and procedures for the identification and disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains and cultural items, as required by the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Regulations (43 C.F.R. Part 10). Those policies shall include updates to existing inventories in order to determine whether cultural affiliation can be determined, or to confirm that the human remains are “culturally unidentifiable” as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 10.2 of Part 10 of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These policies also shall include updates to existing inventories or summaries to identify cultural items that may not have been identified in the original inventories or summaries because traditional tribal knowledge was not incorporated into the identification process.
(3) Develop all policies and procedures pursuant to paragraph (2) in consultation with California Indian tribes on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission pursuant to Section 8013. Each California Indian tribe appearing on the contact list shall be invited to consult on any California State University proposed policies and procedures regarding repatriation. For purposes of this section, “consultation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 65352.4 of the Government Code.
(4) Timely submit the policies and procedures adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) to the commission, so they may review and comment upon them pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 5097.94 of the Public Resources Code on or before July 1, 2024. The California State University shall make best efforts to adopt the commission’s recommendations.
(5) Implement the systemwide policies adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) on or before July 1, 2025, and implement any campus policies within one year after the adoption of the systemwide policies.
(6) Ensure that each campus Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Implementation Committee implements the policies and procedures adopted pursuant to paragraph (2).
(7) Adopt procedures to support appeals and dispute resolution when a tribe disagrees with a campus determination regarding identification, repatriation, or disposition of human remains or cultural items directly to the CSU Systemwide NAGPRA Committee established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 8028.71.
(8) On or before July 1, 2024, to ensure that campuses pursue timely repatriation, require campuses with Native American remains and cultural items to have full-time, experienced repatriation coordinators, as well as a systemwide coordinator for the California State University.
(9) On or before December 31, 2024, and each December 31 thereafter, submit an annual report to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, on the California State University’s systemwide progress in reviewing its collections of Native American human remains and cultural items.
(b) A campus of the California State University may adopt policies to supplement the systemwide policies adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), if the campus determines that individual circumstances involving that campus are not adequately addressed in the adopted and approved systemwide policies, in consultation with California Indian tribes. A policy or procedure adopted by a campus pursuant to this subdivision shall not conflict with the approved systemwide policies adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 649, Sec. 1. (AB 389) Effective January 1, 2024.)