# 119-hr-5694: ARTIST Act

119-hr-5694, ARTIST Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK); status in_committee (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5694
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5694
- Congress: 119
- Title: ARTIST Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-10-06
- Sponsor: Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] (R-AK)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Creates an Alaska Native exemption that would let coastal Alaska Native artisans use and sell marine mammal ivory and bone in authentic handicrafts while keeping conservation checks in place.** - Alaska Native artisans and coastal communities would be able to take marine mammals for subsistence or to make and sell "authentic Alaska Native" handicrafts and clothing, subject to rules that bar mass production and require natural materials and traditional techniques. - Buyers and retailers across state lines would be protected to buy, sell, or possess Alaska Native pieces that meet the authenticity rules, because the bill would block states from banning interstate commerce of covered ivory or bone in qualifying items. - The Secretary of the Interior would face procedural and evidence requirements before restricting takes or declaring a species depleted. Any regulations would need notice and hearing, written findings supported by substantial evidence that consider Indigenous knowledge, and removal once the restriction is no longer needed.

## Provisions PRIA read

- New rules for Alaska Native ivory: mixed, low. This bill would let Alaska Natives who live on Alaska's North Pacific or Arctic coast take marine mammals for subsistence or to make and sell authentic Alaska Native handicrafts, if the taking is not wasteful. It would define "authentic" items as mostly natural materials made by a qualifying Alaska…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
- 119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act
- 119-hr-7613: ALERT Act
- 119-hr-4075: Fire Weather Development Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5351: NSF AI Education Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5694 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5694)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3633)
- [119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-471)
- [119-hr-7613: ALERT Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7613)
- [119-hr-4075: Fire Weather Development Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4075)
- [119-hr-5351: NSF AI Education Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5351)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5694 (as of 2026-09-21).