Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5694

ARTIST Act: Protecting Alaska Native Ivory Crafts

ARTIST Act

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Superseded

The companion bill in the other chamber is advancing instead.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

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Law

This bill, called the ARTIST Act, protects the rights of Alaska Natives to create and sell traditional handicrafts made from marine mammal ivory, such as walrus tusks or whale teeth.
It prevents states from passing their own laws to ban the sale or possession of these authentic items, ensuring artists can sell their work to collectors and tourists across the country without fear of legal trouble.
To qualify as 'authentic,' the items must be handmade by Alaska Natives using traditional methods like carving or weaving, and they cannot be made using machines that mass-produce copies.
The bill also allows Alaska Natives to continue hunting marine mammals for food and using the leftover materials for their art, as long as the hunting is not done in a wasteful way.
While the bill protects these traditions, the government can still set limits if a specific animal species becomes endangered, but they must use both scientific data and Indigenous knowledge to make that decision.

3 milestones3 actions

Mar 19, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

Oct 6, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Oct 6, 2025

Introduced in House

1 bill

ARTIST Act

Oct 10 — Held at the desk.

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

ARTIST Act

Bill NumberHR 5694

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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