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H.R. 6021

U.S. House•House Floor Calendar

Summary

H.R. 6021, the Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act, was introduced in the House on Nov 12, 2025 by Rep. Nicholas Begich (R). It last saw action on Aug 27, 2026: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 675.

Record

Text

H.R. 6021 has no co-sponsors and has not gone to a roll call.

hb6021/introduced.txt
IB
  Union Calendar No. 675
  119TH CONGRESS
  2D SESSION
  H. R. 6021
  [Report No. 119–774]
  To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment of authentic
  Alaska Native articles of handicraft containing nonedible migratory bird
  parts, and for other purposes.
  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  NOVEMBER 12, 2025
  Mr. BEGICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
  Committee on Natural Resources
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
  on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
  [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
  [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 12, 2025]
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
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  A BILL
  To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the
  treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles of handi-
  craft containing nonedible migratory bird parts, and for
  other purposes.
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  •HR 6021 RH
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
  2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
   SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Archie Cavanaugh Mi-
  5 gratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act’’.
   SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to clarify the treatment of
  8 authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft offered for
  9 sale under the Convention between the United States and
  10 Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in
  11 Danger of Extinction and Their Environment, signed at
  12 Tokyo March 4, 1974 (TIAS 7990).
    SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION FOR AUTHENTIC ALASKA NATIVE
ARTICLES OF HANDICRAFT CONTAINING MI-
GRATORY BIRD PARTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
  17 date of the enactment of this Act—
(1) the Secretary of State shall work with the
Secretary of the Interior to enter into appropriate bi-
lateral procedures, as necessary, with the foreign
country that is party to the treaty described in sec-
tion 2 to clarify the treatment of authentic Alaska
Native articles of handicraft to be offered for sale con-
taining nonedible migratory bird parts from the spe-
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
cies of migratory birds listed in the treaty; and
  •HR 6021 RH
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(2) the Secretary of the Interior may modify any
regulations implementing the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), as appropriate, consistent
with the treaty described in section 2, in consultation
with the foreign country that is party to the treaty,
the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council,
and the Pacific Flyway Council, and in coordination
with the Law Enforcement Office of the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, to implement any nec-
essary clarifications resulting from the procedures de-
scribed in paragraph (1), including conditions for
consignment and re-sale, certification of authenticity,
and provisions pertaining to species of conservation
concern.
(b) MODIFICATION  OF       REGULATIONS.—If the Sec-
  16 retary of the Interior determines that any of the species used
  17 under this section show significant population declines or
  18 is determined to be a Bird of Conservation Concern pursu-
  19 ant to section 13 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
  20 of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2912), the Secretary may modify regula-
  21 tions to remove the species from application under this sec-
  22 tion.
(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of the Interior shall
  24 work in collaboration with the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-
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  25 Management Council and other appropriate stakeholders to
  •HR 6021 RH
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  1 develop outreach and communication resources and means
  2 to communicate rules pertaining to the sale of authentic
  3 Alaska Native articles of handicraft including parts of mi-
  4 gratory birds.
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 2(a) of the Mi-
  6 gratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703) is amended by
  7 inserting a comma after ‘‘March 4, 1972’’.
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
(1) ALASKA NATIVE.—The term ‘‘Alaska Native’’
means a member of any Indian Tribe that is based
in the State of Alaska, as verified through issuance
of—
(A) a Tribal enrollment card;
(B) a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood
(commonly known as a ‘‘CDIB’’) by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs; or
(C) a permit under the Silver Hand pro-
gram of the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
(2) AUTHENTIC  ALASKA NATIVE ARTICLE OF
HANDICRAFT.—The  term ‘‘authentic Alaska Native
article of handicraft’’—
(A) means any item that is—
(i) composed, wholly or in a signifi-
cant respect, of natural materials that were
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found, foraged, or gifted; and
  •HR 6021 RH
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(ii) produced, decorated, or fashioned
in significant part—
(I) by an Alaska Native;
(II) in the exercise of traditional
Alaska Native handicrafts; and
(III) without the use of any mass
copying device;
(B) includes—
(i) any weaving, carving, stitching,
sewing, lacing, beading, drawing, or paint-
ing that meets the criteria described in
clause (i); and
(ii) any item, including clothing, de-
scribed in subclause (I) that combines the
techniques described in that subclause; and
(C) does not include any item that contains
a part of a migratory bird that was taken in a
wasteful or illegal manner.
(3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
  Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to clarify the
  treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles of handi-
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  craft containing nonedible migratory bird parts under the
  Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and for other purposes.’’.
  •HR 6021 RH
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  Union Calendar No. 675
119TH CONGRESS
   2D SESSION        H. R. 6021
  [Report No. 119–774]
  H6021
  A BILL
  E:\BILLS\H6021.RH
To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify
  the treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles
  of handicraft containing nonedible migratory bird
  parts, and for other purposes.
  Sfmt 6651
  AUGUST 27, 2026
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee
  Fmt 6651
  of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
  dered to be printed
  Frm 00008
  PO 00000
  Jkt 069200
  21:35 Aug 27, 2026
  VerDate Sep 11 2014
  ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-11-12
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Nov 12, 2025

hb6021/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (11/12/2025)

Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act

This bill states that nothing in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) prohibits possessing, selling, bartering, purchasing, shipping, or transporting any authentic Alaska Native handicraft, clothing, or art on the basis that it contains a nonedible migratory bird part, so long as the bird was not taken in a wasteful or illegal manner. (The MBTA implements four international treaties that the United States entered into with Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia. The MBTA prohibits the taking of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization.)

The bill directs the Department of State to work with the Department of the Interior to enter into appropriate bilateral procedures with countries that are parties to the treaties under the MBTA to clarify the treatment of Alaska Native handicraft containing nonedible migratory bird parts from the species of migratory birds listed in those treaties. Further, Interior must modify any regulations implementing the MBTA to implement this bill.

Sponsors

Rep. Nicholas Begich (R) sponsors H.R. 6021 alone.

Nicholas Begich

Rep. · R–AK · Sponsor

Committees

H.R. 6021 went before 2 committees: Natural Resources and Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee.

Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Reported By · Aug 27, 2026 · 395 Bills
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Discharged from · Jul 22, 2026 · 24 Bills

Actions

H.R. 6021 has taken 8 actions since Nov 12, 2025, the latest on Aug 27, 2026.

ChamberAction
Aug 27, 2026
House
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-774.Natural Resources Committee
Aug 27, 2026
House
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 675.
Jul 22, 2026
House
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries DischargedWater, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee
Jul 22, 2026
House
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.Natural Resources Committee
Feb 4, 2026
House
Subcommittee Hearings HeldWater, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee

Votes

H.R. 6021 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 6021, as Identical bill.

Titles

H.R. 6021 goes by 4 titles, 2 of them short titles.

  • Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act — Display Title
  • Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act — Short Title(s) as Reported to House
  • Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify the treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft containing nonedible migratory bird parts, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 6021 under Native Americans, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 3 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 6021’s is Native Americans.

hr6021/policy-areas.txt
Native AmericansAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 6021 carries 3 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Alaska Natives and Hawaiians to Historical and cultural resources.

hr6021/subjects.txt
Alaska Natives and HawaiiansBirdsHistorical and cultural resources

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 6021, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 191 (Wednesday, November 12, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. BEGICH:H.R. 6021.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following provisions of the Constitution of the UnitedStates:Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (the Commerce Clause)--Toregulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the severalStates, and with the Indian Tribes.Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 (the Treaty Clause)--Tomake treaties, by and with the advice and consent of theSenate, and to enact legislation implementing the obligationsof the United States under those treaties, including themigratory bird conventions between the United States andother nations.Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (the Necessary and ProperClause)--To make all laws which shall be necessary and properfor carrying into execution the foregoing powers.[Page H4667]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com