Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
On June 12, 2026, the President signed S. 254, the Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act (ARTIST Act), into law. This legislation amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to address the regulation of marine mammal ivory trade.
The law prohibits states from enacting laws that would restrict the interstate commerce, importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter, or possession of marine mammal ivory, bone, or baleen when produced by Alaska Natives as authentic articles of handicrafts and clothing.
According to the statement, the ARTIST Act aims to protect the traditional rights of Alaska Native peoples to create and sell handicrafts made from marine mammal materials, ensuring those sales are not limited by state-level prohibitions.