Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
Latest action · Dec 21, 2022 Became Public Law No: 117-258.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 30, 2021
- Passed HouseDec 2, 2021
- Passed SenateNov 29, 2022
- To the PresidentDec 16, 2022
- Became lawDec 21, 2022Public Law 117-258
Summary
Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
This act prohibits the exportation of Native American cultural items and archaeological resources that were illegally obtained; provides for the return of such items, including voluntary returns; and establishes and increases related criminal penalties.
Specifically, the act makes it a federal crime to export, attempt to export, or otherwise transport from the United States Native American cultural items and archaeological resources without obtaining an export certification. U.S. Customs and Border Protection must detain any item requiring an export certification that does not have one.
The act requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of State to each designate a liaison to facilitate and hold trainings and workshops on the voluntary return of human remains and cultural items.
Additionally, Interior must
- refer individuals and organizations to Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to facilitate the voluntary return of human remains and cultural items;
- convene an interagency working group; and
- convene a Native working group consisting of representatives of Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to provide advice on issues concerning the return of, and illegal trade in, human remains and cultural items.
The act also increases the maximum criminal penalties for violating the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. In particular, the act increases from 5 years to 10 years the maximum prison term for an individual convicted of a second or subsequent violation of selling, purchasing, using for profit, or transporting for sale or profit human remains or cultural items that were illegally obtained.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 401 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed364–57 | Dec 2, 2021 |
Cosponsors 24
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 30, 2021 to Nov 1, 2021; 7 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AS | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| R-FL | Brian J. Mast | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| D-ME | Chellie Pingree | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| R-AK | Don Young | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| D-CA | Karen Bass | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| D-KS | Sharice Davids | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| R-OK | Tom Cole | Original | Apr 30, 2021 |
| D-WA | Derek Kilmer | May 28, 2021 | |
| D-AZ | Tom O'Halleran | Jun 1, 2021 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | Jun 11, 2021 | |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Jun 29, 2021 | |
| D-NM | Melanie A. Stansbury | Sep 28, 2021 | |
| R-OH | David P. Joyce | Sep 29, 2021 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Oct 8, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Mark Takano | Oct 8, 2021 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Oct 15, 2021 | |
| D-MN | Ilhan Omar | Oct 19, 2021 | |
| D-NC | Kathy E. Manning | Oct 19, 2021 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Oct 19, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Oct 19, 2021 | |
| D-MN | Angie Craig | Oct 22, 2021 | |
| D-NY | Grace Meng | Oct 22, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | Oct 22, 2021 | |
| D-CO | Joe Neguse | Nov 1, 2021 |
Committees 3
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Apr 30, 2021Markup Oct 13, 2021Reported Dec 1, 2021 |
| Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee | Referred May 20, 2021Hearings May 20, 2021Discharged Oct 13, 2021 | |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Apr 30, 2021Discharged Dec 1, 2021 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Nov 9, 2021 | |
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Apr 30, 2021Discharged Dec 1, 2021 |
Actions 25
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 21, 2022Signed by President.
- Dec 21, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-258.
- Dec 16, 2022Presented to President.
- Nov 30, 2022Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 29, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6847-6848)
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6847, S6848 | Lisa Murkowski R-AK, Martin Heinrich D-NM | Nov 29, 2022 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E49 | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen R-AS | Jan 19, 2022 |
| House · Extensions | Debate and remarks E1306Recorded votes H6891enactLists H6892Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 2930, Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act | Ed Case D-HI | Dec 2, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H6727–H6732Text printed H6727–H6730Notices H6857Estimated budget effects of H.R. 2930, Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act | Bruce Westerman R-AR, John A. Yarmuth D-KY, Teresa Leger Fernandez D-NM | Dec 1, 2021 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Oct 28, 2021H.R. 2930, Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on October 13, 2021
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 75, April 30, 2021, page H2135.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 117-339 | THE LONG JOURNEY HOME: ADVANCING THE NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT'S PROMISE AFTER 30 YEARS OF PRACTICE90 pages | Indian Affairs Committee | Feb 2, 2022 |
CRS reports 3
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 3
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R48093 | Federal-Tribal Consultation: Background and Issues for Congress | Report | Sep 23, 2026 |
| RL32794 | House Committee Funding: Process and Historical Appropriations and Authorizations | Report | Sep 24, 2025 |
| R42581 | State Small Business Credit Initiative: Implementation and Funding Issues | Report | Jul 25, 2022 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1471 | Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021 | Related bill | Jul 28, 2021 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To enhance protections of Native American tangible cultural heritage, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Native Americans.
- Administrative remedies
- Advisory bodies
- Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
- Archaeology and anthropology
- Cemeteries and funerals
- Charitable contributions
- Civil actions and liability
- Crimes against property
- Criminal procedure and sentencing
- Customs enforcement
- Department of the Interior
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Evidence and witnesses
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Federal-Indian relations
- Government information and archives
- Historical and cultural resources
- Income tax deductions
- International organizations and cooperation
- Licensing and registrations
- Native Americans
- Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
- Right of privacy
- Smuggling and trafficking
- Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
- Trade restrictions
- User charges and fees
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Dec 7, 2021Received in Senate
- Dec 2, 2021Engrossed in House
- Dec 1, 2021Reported in House
- Apr 30, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
