To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes.

Nicholas J. Begich III

Republican · AK · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Subcommittee Hearings Held

2026-06-03

Source: Congress.gov

This bill would allow Alaska Native communities in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska to legally sell items made from northern sea otters they hunt for food, including pelts, clothing, handicrafts, and artwork. Currently, federal law restricts the sale of sea otter products even when the animals are hunted traditionally for subsistence purposes, so this change would let Indigenous hunters and their communities generate income from these traditional practices. The bill affects Alaska Native subsistence hunters and the communities that depend on these hunting traditions.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8401 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8401 To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 21, 2026 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. TRANSPORT, PURCHASE, AND SALE OF PELTS OF, AND HANDICRAFTS, GARMENTS, AND ART PRODUCED FROM SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALASKA NORTHERN SEA OTTERS TAKEN FOR SUBSISTENCE PURPOSES. Section 102 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1372) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(g) Sea Otter Pelts and Products.--Nothing in this Act prohibits-- ``(1) the transport, purchase, sale of, or any offer to purchase or sell, any pelt of an otter from the Southcentral or Southeast Alaska stock of northern sea otters that is taken for subsistence purposes in accordance with section 101(b)(1); or ``(2) the transport, purchase, sale, export of, or any offer to purchase, sell or export, any handicraft, garment, or art that is produced from the pelt of the Southcentral or Southeast Alaska stock of northern sea otters that is taken for subsistence purposes in accordance with section 101(b)(1), regardless of whether the handicraft, garment, or art-- ``(A) is traditional or contemporary; or ``(B) is or is not altered significantly.''. <all>

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