# 117-hr-2930: Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021

117-hr-2930, Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-NM); status became_law; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-2930
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-2930
- Congress: 117
- Title: Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2021-04-30
- Sponsor: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 24
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**Protecting Native American and Native Hawaiian tangible cultural heritage** by tightening export controls, creating a formal export‑certification system, and raising penalties for illegal export and trafficking. It also sets up a voluntary return program and requires tribal participation in reviews and referrals. - Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations gain formal roles and protections. The law creates a Native Working Group of at least 12 representatives to advise the government, gives tribes a written role in export reviews, and allows FOIA exemptions for sensitive tribal material. - Collectors, dealers, and exporters face new paperwork and risks. Items defined as requiring export certification need detailed provenance, photos, and an attestation, and false statements or prohibited exports carry civil fines and criminal penalties up to 1 year and 1 day for a first offense and up to 10 years for repeat offenses. - Federal agencies and enforcement get new tools and duties. The act creates an Interagency Working Group, a secure central database, detention and forfeiture authority, time‑bound review timelines, training requirements, and a one‑year deadline to issue implementing regulations. *Authorizes $3 million per year for fiscal years 2022 through 2027, with PAYGO accounting, increasing federal outlays by about $18 million over that period.*

## Cosponsors (24)

- Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4] (R-OK), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21] (R-FL), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large] (R-AS), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2021-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2021-05-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] (D-AZ), 2021-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2021-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2021-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2021-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14] (R-OH), 2021-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2021-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2021-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2021-10-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] (D-MN), 2021-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Manning, Kathy E. [D-NC-6] (D-NC), 2021-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2021-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2021-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2021-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2021-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2021-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2021-11-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-12-02T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 364 | 57 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier returns and federal support for tribal items: benefit, low. The government helps people return cultural items voluntarily. Interior and State name liaisons, offer trainings, and refer you to the right Tribe; there are no extra penalties, and tax paperwork is provided for deductible gifts when the recipient agrees. A federal interagency group and a Native wo…
- New fees and penalties on cultural exports: cost, medium. The Interior Secretary may charge reasonable fees to process export certification applications. Exporting a covered item without a required certification brings civil penalties set by regulation. Exporting a prohibited item without certification triggers a civil penalty equal to the full cost to st…
- Stronger enforcement and penalties on cultural exports: cost, medium. It is illegal to export or try to export prohibited items; violators face fines and prison up to 1 year and 1 day for a first offense, and up to 10 years for later offenses. The law also raises other related felony maximums from 5 to 10 years and the misdemeanor maximum to 1 year and 1 day. Customs…
- New export certification rules for cultural items: mixed, medium. The law requires an export certificate before shipping covered cultural items. The Interior Secretary publishes item characteristics, with a presumption that items made only for sale are not covered unless a Tribe objects. Your application must include photos, descriptions, provenance, and a signed…

## Related bills

- 117-hr-2471: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022
- 117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Build…
- 117-hr-3630: Lymphedema Treatment Act
- 117-hr-2249: Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-hr-1916: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 117-hr-82: Social Security Fairness Act of 2021

## Sources
- [117-hr-2930 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2930)

## Related
- [117-hr-2471: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-2471)
- [117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 C…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5577)
- [117-hr-3630: Lymphedema Treatment Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3630)
- [117-hr-2249: Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-2249)
- [117-hr-1916: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1916)
- [117-hr-82: Social Security Fairness Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-82)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-2930 (as of 2026-01-05).