§3003 Inventory for human remains and associated funerary objects

Summary

Requires every federal agency and any museum that has Native American human remains or funerary objects to make an itemized inventory of those holdings and, when they can, say where the remains or objects came from and which culture they belong to. The inventories must be done with help from tribal leaders, Native Hawaiian organization officials, and traditional religious leaders. They had to be finished no later than 5 years after November 16, 1990, and must be available while they are being made and afterward to a review committee under section 3006. If an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that got (or should have gotten) notice asks, the museum or agency must give extra existing records or summaries (like catalogs, inventories, or past studies) but not start new scientific studies or try to get new scientific information from the remains or objects. "Inventory" means a simple list that summarizes the required information. If a museum tried in good faith but could not finish, it can ask the Secretary for more time and must show a plan; the Secretary can grant an extension. When a cultural link is found, the agency or museum must tell the affected tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations within 6 months after finishing the inventory. That notice must say what each item is, how it was acquired, which items are clearly from that tribe, and which are not clearly from that tribe but are reasonably believed to be linked. A copy of the notice goes to the Secretary, who will publish it in the Federal Register.