Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8401

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes.

Alaska Sea Otter Products: Sales and Trade

Apr 21·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by the House Committee on Natural Resources. No further actions or hearings have been scheduled at this time. The bill is considered active but has not yet moved beyond the committee level.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

Most bills that change wildlife laws face a long path to becoming law and often run into opposition from conservation groups. This bill focuses on a very specific area, which can make it harder to get enough support from the rest of the country.

Key Points

This bill changes federal law to let people buy and sell sea otter pelts from Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Right now, there are strict rules that limit how these items can be traded or sold.
The new rules apply to sea otters caught for subsistence. This means the animals were hunted for food or traditional needs by Alaska Natives. The bill would allow these hunters to sell the pelts and crafts they make.
People would be allowed to sell raw pelts and finished items like clothing or art. The bill makes it clear that these items can be modern or traditional and do not have to be changed much from their natural state to be sold.
This change is meant to help local economies in Alaska. It removes legal barriers that currently stop these products from being sold to people in other states or sent to other countries.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

4 milestones4 actions

Jun 3, 2026House

Subcommittee Hearings Held

May 29, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 21, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Apr 21, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes.

Bill NumberHR 8401

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionSubcommittee Hearings Held

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.