The Protect Culturally Sensitive Information Act establishes federal protections for culturally sensitive information shared by Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Entities, and Native Hawaiian Organizations with the government. The bill allows these groups to designate information about culturally significant sites, burial grounds, cultural items, and religious practices as protected, preventing public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Federal agencies receiving such designated information must consult with the relevant tribes or organizations to determine how to store it and who can access it, with limited exceptions only for legally compelled disclosures (such as court orders), where agencies must still notify the tribes within three business days and work to minimize harm. The Secretary of the Interior must establish guidelines within one year to help federal agencies understand and properly handle this sensitive information, and all agencies must create new regulations to implement these protections within one year of the bill's enactment.
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