An act to provide an appropriation to the state historical society for Native American grave protection and repatriation compliance efforts., the official text

Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
HOUSE BILL NO. 1603 (Representatives Brown, Davis, Finley-DeVille, Ista, Nelson)
(Senators Boschee, Braunberger, Mathern)
AN ACT to provide an appropriation to the state historical society for Native American grave protection and repatriation compliance efforts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA: SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY - NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVE
PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION COMPLIANCE. 1. There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $500,000, or so much of the sum as may be necessary, to the state historical society for the purpose of providing compliance with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. 2. The state historical society shall use the funds provided under this section to establish a compliance committee consisting of tribal historic preservation officers or their designees from each North Dakota tribe with an agreement pursuant to chapter 54-40.2. The committee must consist of representatives from the state historical society, Indian affairs commission, and the attorney general's office. Each tribe participating on the committee shall provide matching funds of up to $100,000 for committee efforts. All funds received for compliance efforts under this section must be placed into a separate account with oversight by the office of management and budget. 3. The committee must identify and prioritize compliance efforts for the repatriation of culturally significant human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony, including funding for staffing, training, and consultation with the tribal historic preservation offices. The compliance committee shall develop policies to facilitate meetings, grant usage, training, consultation, compliance timelines, training, and documentation requirements that directly address the repatriation of culturally significant items to North Dakota tribal nations. 4. The appropriation provided in this section does not authorize any new scientific study of Native American ancestral remains or burial property, as outlined in the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, nor may the funds be appropriated for such studies.

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____________________________ Speaker of the House

____________________________ President of the Senate

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate

This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1603.

House Vote: Senate Vote:

Yeas 87 Yeas 46

Nays 0 Nays 0

Absent 6 Absent 1

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025. Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.

____________________________ Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025, at ________ o’clock ________M.

____________________________ Secretary of State