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The ARTIST Act amends federal marine mammal protection laws to allow Alaska Native artisans to harvest and sell marine mammal ivory, bone, and baleen as part of traditional handicrafts and cultural practices. The bill permits Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos residing in Alaska along the Arctic or North Pacific coasts to take marine mammals for subsistence use or to create authentic handicrafts using traditional methods like carving, weaving, and beading, and to sell these items in interstate commerce. The legislation prohibits states from banning the importation or sale of these marine mammal products when incorporated into authentic Alaska Native articles. The bill includes protections requiring the federal government to use substantial evidence, including Indigenous knowledge, before restricting harvests and allowing the Secretary of Commerce to establish regulations only if specific marine mammal species become depleted. No specific funding or timeline is established in the legislation.

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