S. 254: Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act
Bill · 119th Congress (2025–2026). Became law, 12 Jun 2026 · Public Law 119-99. Introduced 24 Jan 2025.
Official title: A bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, and for other purposes.
Vote results
- House, 3 Jun 2026: Passed, 404 Yea, 14 Nay, 0 Present, 12 Not voting. The House’s roll call
- Senate, 8 Oct 2025: agreed to by unanimous consent; the record lists no member’s position. In the record’s words: “Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.”
- President: Signed 12 Jun 2026 · Public Law 119-99
How each member voted
White House
Signed (1): Donald Trump (R, President).
Not in office (1): Joseph Biden (D, President).
Senate
Agreed to by unanimous consent: the record lists no member’s position.
House
Yea (404): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); Ken Calvert (R-CA-41); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Mike Thompson (D-CA-4); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-48); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-21); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Al Green (D-TX-9); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-7); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); André Carson (D-IN-7); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-5); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Tom McClintock (R-CA-5); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-28); John Garamendi (D-CA-8); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-9); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); David Schweikert (R-AZ-1); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-6); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Lois Frankel (D-FL-22); Richard Hudson (R-NC-9); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Juan Vargas (D-CA-52); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); Ted Lieu (D-CA-36); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-2); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); David G. Valadao (R-CA-22); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-16); James Comer (R-KY-1); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-21); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-5); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Marlin A. Stutzman (R-IN-3); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Josh Harder (D-CA-9); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Lucy McBath (D-GA-6); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-1); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT-1); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Cleo Fields (D-LA-6); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-18); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-28); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51); Young Kim (R-CA-40); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-9); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1); Barry Moore (R-AL-1); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Mark Alford (R-MO-4); Becca Balint (D-VT-AL); Aaron Bean (R-FL-4); Josh Brecheen (R-OK-2); Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13); Eric Burlison (R-MO-7); Greg Casar (D-TX-35); Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6); Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA-31); Mike Collins (R-GA-10); Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2); Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30); Donald G. Davis (D-NC-1); Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15); Christopher R. Deluzio (D-PA-17); Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11); Mike Ezell (R-MS-4); Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-4); Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10); Russell Fry (R-SC-7); Robert Garcia (D-CA-42); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3); Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY-10); Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY-AL); Erin Houchin (R-IN-9); Val T. Hoyle (D-OR-4); Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38); Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4); Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1); John James (R-MI-10); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37); Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA-2); Kevin Kiley (I-CA-3); Nick LaLota (R-NY-1); Greg Landsman (D-OH-1); Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23); Michael Lawler (R-NY-17); Laurel M. Lee (R-FL-15); Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12); Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8); Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2); Richard McCormick (R-GA-7); Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3); Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8); Max L. Miller (R-OH-7); Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1); Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3); Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7); Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3); Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6); Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI-3); Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17); Dale W. Strong (R-AL-5); Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH-13); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI-2); Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3); Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-2); Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA-4); Gabe Amo (D-RI-1); Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2); Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY-26); Vince Fong (R-CA-20); Michael A. Rulli (R-OH-6); LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10); Tony Wied (R-WI-8); Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-3); Tom Barrett (R-MI-7); Nicholas J. Begich III (R-AK-AL); Wesley Bell (D-MO-1); Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr. (R-PA-8); Janelle S. Bynum (D-OR-5); Herbert C. Conaway, Jr. (D-NJ-3); Jeff Crank (R-CO-5); Maxine Dexter (D-OR-3); Troy Downing (R-MT-2); Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-3); Gabe Evans (R-CO-8); Julie Fedorchak (R-ND-AL); Shomari Figures (D-AL-2); Laura Friedman (D-CA-30); Brandon Gill (R-TX-26); Laura Gillen (D-NY-4); Craig A. Goldman (R-TX-12); Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-2); Adam Gray (D-CA-13); Abraham J. Hamadeh (R-AZ-8); Mike Haridopolos (R-FL-8); Pat Harrigan (R-NC-10); Mark Harris (R-NC-8); Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3); Brian Jack (R-GA-3); Julie Johnson (D-TX-32); Mike Kennedy (R-UT-3); Brad Knott (R-NC-13); George Latimer (D-NY-16); Sam T. Liccardo (D-CA-16); Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-7); John W. Mannion (D-NY-22); Sarah McBride (D-DE-AL); April McClain Delaney (D-MD-6); Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-8); Addison P. McDowell (R-NC-6); John J. McGuire III (R-VA-5); Mark B. Messmer (R-IN-8); Dave Min (D-CA-47); Riley M. Moore (R-WV-2); Tim Moore (R-NC-14); Kelly Morrison (D-MN-3); Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-MD-2); Robert F. Onder, Jr. (R-MO-3); Nellie Pou (D-NJ-9); Emily Randall (D-WA-6); Josh Riley (D-NY-19); Luz M. Rivas (D-CA-29); Derek Schmidt (R-KS-2); Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-6); Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12); Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10); David J. Taylor (R-OH-2); Derek Tran (D-CA-45); Eugene Simon Vindman (D-VA-7); George Whitesides (D-CA-27); Jimmy Patronis (R-FL-1); James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA-11); Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ-7); Matt Van Epps (R-TN-7); Christian D. Menefee (D-TX-18); Clay Fuller (R-GA-14); Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11).
Nay (14): Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Keith Self (R-TX-3); Sheri Biggs (R-SC-3); Randy Fine (R-FL-6).
Not voting (12): Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Brad Sherman (D-CA-32); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-7); Andrew Ogles (R-TN-5); Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-5).
Not in office (15): James Gallagher (R-CA-1); Everton Blair Jr. (D-GA-13); Aisha Wahab (D-CA-14); David Scott (D-GA-13); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Sylvester Turner (D-TX-18).
Summary
Main subject: Rewrites the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 exemption for Alaska Natives, covering the taking of marine mammals and the sale of Alaska Native handicrafts and clothing, and bars States from prohibiting commerce in marine mammal ivory, bone or baleen incorporated into those articles. Sec. 2
Its core areas: Alaska Native exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972; Sale and interstate commerce of Alaska Native handicrafts and clothing made with marine mammal parts; Secretary's regulation of the taking of depleted marine mammal species or stocks.
Unexpected Items: 1 provision
These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.
Exception or delay for a subset (1)
- Sec. 2: Alaska Native handicrafts: Provides that the Secretary's duty to show in writing that regulations, assessments, and depletion determinations are supported by substantial evidence applies only in an action brought by Alaska Native organizations.
What it does
- Sec. 2: Defines "authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing" as an item made wholly or significantly of natural materials by an Alaska Native who resides in Alaska and dwells on the North Pacific or Arctic Ocean coast, without a pantograph, multiple carvers, or any other mass copying device.
- Sec. 2: Provides that the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, except section 109, does not apply to the taking of marine mammals by such Alaska Natives for subsistence or for creating and selling authentic handicrafts and clothing, if the taking also meets the text's condition on the manner of taking.
- Sec. 2: Allows an item presented as an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing to be sold in interstate commerce only if it meets the definition in the text.
- Sec. 2: Allows the Secretary to prescribe regulations on the taking of a marine mammal species or stock determined to be depleted, after notice and hearing under section 103, and requires removal of the regulations once the need has disappeared.
- Sec. 2: Requires the Secretary to demonstrate in writing, and post on the Secretary's website, that certain regulations, assessments, determinations or findings are supported by substantial evidence, considering the whole record including Indigenous knowledge, in actions brought by Alaska Native organizations.
- Sec. 2: Bars any State from prohibiting the interstate commerce, importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter or possession of marine mammal ivory, bone or baleen incorporated by an Alaska Native into an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.
Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 2 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.