(1) The Act and these regulations provide systematic processes to:

(2) The Act and these regulations require consultation with lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

(3) Consistent with the Act, these regulations require deference to the Native American traditional knowledge of lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

(1) These regulations require certain actions by:

(2) Lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organization may, but are not required to, consult, submit claims for disposition, or submit requests for repatriation.

(1) Consult with lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations on the appropriate storage, treatment, or handling of human remains or cultural items;

(2) Make a reasonable and good-faith effort to incorporate and accommodate the Native American traditional knowledge of lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations in the storage, treatment, or handling of human remains or cultural items; and

(3) Obtain free, prior, and informed consent from lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations prior to allowing any exhibition of, access to, or research on human remains or cultural items. Research includes, but is not limited to, any study, analysis, examination, or other means of acquiring or preserving information about human remains or cultural items. Research of any kind on human remains or cultural items is not required by the Act or these regulations.

(1) Written documents must be sent by one of the following:

(2) Communication to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, must be sent electronically to nagpra_info@nps.gov. If electronic submission is not possible, physical delivery may be sent to 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 2343, Washington, DC 20240. If either of these addresses change, a notice with the new address must be published in the Federal Register no later than 7 days after the change.

(1) Days mean calendar days. If a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the action is deemed timely if taken no later than the next calendar day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday. For purposes of this part, Federal holidays include any days during which the Federal government is closed because of a Federal holiday, lapse in appropriations, or other reasons.

(2) Written documents are deemed timely based on the date sent, not the date received.

(3) Parties sending or receiving written documents under these regulations must document the date sent or date received, as appropriate, when these regulations require those parties to act based on the date sent or date received.

(1) A final determination making the Act or this part inapplicable;

(2) A final denial of a claim for disposition or a request for repatriation; and

(3) A final disposition or repatriation determination.

(1) The national park system;

(2) The national wildlife refuge system;

(3) The national forest system; and

(4) All other lands the fee title to which is held by the United States Government, other than lands on the Outer Continental Shelf and lands which are under the jurisdiction of the Smithsonian Institution.

(1) Seek, discuss, and consider the views of all parties;

(2) Strive for consensus, agreement, or mutually acceptable alternatives; and

(3) Enable meaningful consideration of the Native American traditional knowledge of lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

(1) Any lands selected by, but not yet conveyed to, an Alaska Native Corporation organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.);

(2) Any lands other than Tribal lands that are held by the United States Government in trust for an individual Indian or lands owned by an individual Indian and subject to a restriction on alienation by the United States Government; and

(3) Any lands subject to a statutory restriction, lease, easement, agreement, or similar arrangement containing terms that grant to the United States Government indicia of control over those lands.

(1) Associated funerary object means any funerary object related to human remains that were removed and the location of the human remains is known. Any object made exclusively for burial purposes or to contain human remains is always an associated funerary object regardless of the physical location or existence of any related human remains.

(2) Unassociated funerary object means any funerary object that is not an associated funerary object and is identified by a preponderance of the evidence as one or more of the following:

(1) Academic interest;

(2) Accession;

(3) Catalog;

(4) Comparison;

(5) Conservation;

(6) Education;

(7) Examination;

(8) Exhibition;

(9) Forensic purposes;

(10) Interpretation;

(11) Preservation;

(12) Public benefit;

(13) Research;

(14) Scientific interest; or

(15) Study.

(1) Human remains reasonably believed to be comingled with other materials (such as soil or faunal remains) may be treated as human remains.

(2) Human remains incorporated into a funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony are considered part of the cultural items rather than human remains.

(3) Human remains incorporated into an object or item that is not a funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony are considered human remains.

(1) A living person tracing ancestry, either by means of traditional Native American kinship systems, or by the common-law system of descent, to a known individual whose human remains, funerary objects, or sacred objects are subject to this part; or

(2) A living person tracing ancestry, either by means of traditional Native American kinship systems, or by the common-law system of descent, to all the known individuals represented by comingled human remains (example: the human remains of two individuals have been comingled, and a living person can trace ancestry directly to both of the deceased individuals).

(1) A Tribe is an Indian Tribe.

(2) A people comprise the entire body of persons who constitute a community, Tribe, nation, or other group by virtue of a common culture, history, religion, language, race, ethnicity, or similar feature. The Native Hawaiian Community is a “people.”

(3) A culture comprises the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time.

(1) Serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians, who are descendants of the indigenous people who, before 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now constitutes the State of Hawai`i;

(2) Has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians; and

(3) Has expertise in Native Hawaiian affairs, and includes but is not limited to:

(1) Cannot or could not be alienated, appropriated, or conveyed by any person, including its caretaker, regardless of whether the person is a member of the group, and

(2) Must have been considered inalienable by the group at the time the object was separated from the group.

(1) An individual, partnership, corporation, trust, institution, association, or any other private entity; or

(2) Any representative, official, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the United States Government or of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, or of any State or subdivision of a State.

(1) An unassociated funerary object, a sacred object, or an object of cultural patrimony from an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with the voluntary consent of a person or group with authority to alienate the object; or

(2) Human remains or associated funerary objects which were exhumed, removed, or otherwise obtained with full knowledge and consent of the next of kin or, when no next of kin is ascertainable, the official governing body of the appropriate Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.

(1) All lands that are within the exterior boundaries of any Indian reservation;

(2) All lands that are dependent Indian communities; and

(3) All lands administered by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (HHCA, 42 Stat. 108) and Section 4 of the Act to Provide for the Admission of the State of Hawai'i into the Union (73 Stat. 4), including “available lands” and “Hawaiian home lands.”

(1) One or more of the following equally relevant types of information about human remains or cultural items may be available:

(2) A lack of any type of information does not preclude a determination of cultural affiliation. One type of information may be used to determine cultural affiliation when no other relevant information is available.

(1) Each of the following criteria must be identified in the information available:

(2) One type of information may be sufficient to reasonably identify the required criteria when no other relevant information is available. For example, geographical information about human remains or cultural items may identify:

(1) The determination must be one of the following:

(2) Cultural affiliation of human remains or cultural items may be with more than one Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. For example, an identifiable earlier group may have a relationship to more than one Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, or two or more earlier groups may be connected to human remains or cultural items and a relationship may be reasonably traced to two or more Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations that do not themselves have a shared group identity. In Hawai`i, two or more Native Hawaiian organizations may be part of the same Native Hawaiian Community, but may have distinct beliefs, protocols, and other cultural practices passed down through different familial, cultural, and geographical lineages.

(1) The Indian Tribe with the closest cultural affiliation, in the following order, is:

(2) The Native Hawaiian organization with the closest cultural affiliation, in the following order, is:

(1) Step 1—Initiate consultation. Before a planned activity or after a discovery, the Federal agency or DHHL must identify consulting parties and invite the parties to consult.

(2) Step 2—Consult on the plan of action. The Federal agency or DHHL must respond to any consulting party, regardless of whether the party has received an invitation to consult. Consultation on the plan of action may continue until the Federal agency or DHHL sends a disposition statement to a claimant under § 10.7(c)(5) of this subpart.

(3) Step 3—Approve and sign the plan of action. Before a planned activity or after a discovery, the Federal agency or DHHL must approve and sign a plan of action and must provide a copy to all consulting parties. At a minimum, the written plan of action must include:

(1) Be developed in consultation with the lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization identified under paragraph (b)(1) of this section;

(2) Include, at minimum, a plan of action under paragraph (b)(3) of this section;

(3) Be consented to by a majority of consulting parties under paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Evidence of consent means the authorized representative's signature on the agreement or by official correspondence to the Federal agency or DHHL; and

(4) Be signed by the Federal agency or DHHL.

(1) Immediately report the discovery in person or by telephone to the appropriate official and any additional point of contact shown in table 1 of this paragraph (a).

(2) Make a reasonable effort to secure and protect the human remains or cultural items, including, as appropriate, stabilizing or covering the human remains or cultural items; and

(3) No later than 24 hours after the discovery, send written documentation of the discovery to the appropriate official and the additional point of contact shown in Table 1 to paragraph (a)(1) of this section stating:

(1) Immediately stop any activity that could threaten the discovery;

(2) Report the discovery according to paragraph (a) of this section; and

(3) In the written documentation of the discovery required under paragraph (a)(3) of this section include:

(1) The appropriate official must make a reasonable effort to:

(2) On Tribal lands in Alaska and the continental United States, the Indian Tribe may delegate its responsibility for the discovery to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority. If both the Federal agency and the Indian Tribe consent in writing, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section.

(3) On Tribal lands of an NHO, the Native Hawaiian organization may agree in writing to be responsible for discoveries on its Tribal lands and then must respond to any discovery under this paragraph. If the Native Hawaiian organization has not agreed in writing to be responsible for discoveries, DHHL is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraph (d) and (e) of this section for any discoveries on those Tribal lands of an NHO.

(1) No later than 30 days after receiving written documentation of a discovery, the Federal agency or DHHL, in consultation with the lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization, must approve and sign a plan of action under § 10.4(b).

(2) This requirement does not apply if, before receiving written documentation of the discovery, the Federal agency or DHHL signed:

(1) A copy of the signed plan of action or comprehensive agreement with redaction of any confidential or sensitive information;

(2) Instructions for protecting, securing, stabilizing, or covering the human remains or cultural items, if appropriate; and

(3) The date (no later than 30 days after the date of the written certification) on which lawful activity may resume around the discovery.

(1) At minimum, the written authorization must document:

(2) On Tribal lands in Alaska and the continental United States, the Indian Tribe may delegate its responsibility for authorizing the excavation to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority. If both the Federal agency and the Indian Tribe consent in writing, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) On Tribal lands of an NHO, the Native Hawaiian organization may agree in writing to be responsible for excavations on its Tribal lands and then must provide written authorizations under this paragraph. If the Native Hawaiian organization has not agreed in writing to be responsible for excavations, DHHL is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section for any excavations on those Tribal lands of an NHO.

(1) Approve and sign a plan of action. Prior to authorizing an excavation, the Federal agency or DHHL, in consultation with the lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization, must approve and sign a plan of action under § 10.4(b). The Federal agency or DHHL must carry out the plan of action for any human remains or cultural items that are excavated and removed.

(2) Authorize an excavation. At minimum, the written authorization must include:

(1) The known lineal descendant, if any, for human remains or associated funerary objects;

(2) The Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization from whose Tribal lands the human remains or cultural items were removed;

(3) The Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with the closest cultural affiliation according to the priority order at § 10.3(e) of this part;

(4) On Federal land that is recognized by a final judgment of the Indian Claims Commission or the United States Court of Claims as the aboriginal land of some Indian Tribe, the Indian Tribe with the strongest relationship to the human remains or cultural items, which is:

(5) Any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that requests transfer of the human remains or cultural items as unclaimed under paragraph (d) of this section.

(1) The Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization must complete and retain a written disposition statement to recognize:

(2) On Tribal lands in Alaska and the continental United States, the Indian Tribe may delegate its responsibility for disposition of human remains or cultural items to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority. If both the Federal agency and the Indian Tribe consent in writing, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Federal agency with primary management authority is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section.

(3) On Tribal lands of an NHO, the Native Hawaiian organization may agree in writing to be responsible for disposition of human remains or cultural items from its Tribal lands and then must provide written disposition statements under this paragraph. If the Native Hawaiian organization has not agreed in writing to be responsible for dispositions, DHHL is responsible for completing the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section for any dispositions from those Tribal lands of an NHO.

(4) After completing a disposition statement, nothing in the Act or this part:

(1) Step 1—Inform consulting parties. As soon as possible but no later than six months after removal of human remains or cultural items from Federal or Tribal lands, the Federal agency or DHHL must send a written document informing all consulting parties listed in the plan of action under § 10.4(b)(3) of this part. Consultation on disposition of human remains or cultural items may continue until the Federal agency or DHHL sends a disposition statement to a claimant under paragraph (c)(5) of this section.

(2) Step 2—Submit a notice of intended disposition. No earlier than 30 days and no later than six months after informing consulting parties, the Federal agency or DHHL must submit a notice of intended disposition. If the human remains or cultural items are evidence in an ongoing civil or criminal action under ARPA or a criminal action under NAGPRA, the deadline for the notice is extended until the conclusion of the ARPA or NAGPRA case.

(3) Step 3—Receive and consider a claim for disposition. After publication of a notice of intended disposition in the Federal Register, any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit to the appropriate official for the Federal agency or DHHL a written claim for disposition of human remains or cultural items.

(4) Step 4—Respond to a claim for disposition. No earlier than 30 days after publication of a notice of intended disposition but no later than 90 days after receiving a claim for disposition, the Federal agency or DHHL must send a written response to the claimant with a copy to any other party identified in the notice of intended disposition with priority for disposition.

(5) Step 5—Disposition of the human remains or cultural items. No later than 90 days after responding to a claim for disposition that meets the criteria, the Federal agency or DHHL must send a written disposition statement to the claimant(s) and a copy to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program. A disposition statement must recognize the claimant(s) has ownership or control of the human remains or cultural items. In the case of joint claims for disposition, a disposition statement must identify and be sent to all claimants.

(1) Step 1—Submit a list of unclaimed human remains or cultural items. No later than January 13, 2025, the Federal agency or DHHL must submit to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, a list of any unclaimed human remains or cultural items in its custody. The Federal agency or DHHL must submit updates to its list of unclaimed human remains or cultural items by December 31 each year.

(2) Step 2—Agree to transfer or decide to reinter human remains or cultural items. At the discretion of the Federal agency or DHHL, a Federal agency or DHHL may:

(3) Step 3—Submit a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment. No later than 30 days after agreeing to transfer or deciding to reinter the human remains or cultural items, the Federal agency or DHHL must submit a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment.

(4) Step 4—Transfer or reinter the human remains or cultural items. No earlier than 30 days and no later than 90 days after publication of a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment, the Federal agency or DHHL must transfer or reinter the human remains or cultural items and send a written statement to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, that the transfer or reinterment is complete.

(1) A museum must determine whether it has sufficient interest in a holding or collection to constitute possession or control on a case-by-case basis given the relevant information about the holding or collection.

(2) Any museum that sends a repatriation statement for human remains or cultural items or that transfers or reinters human remains or associated funerary objects in good faith under this subpart shall not be liable for claims by an aggrieved party or for claims of breach of fiduciary duty, public trust, or violations of State law that are inconsistent with the provisions of the Act or this part.

(1) A Federal agency must determine, given the relevant information, if a holding or collection:

(2) A Federal agency may have custody of a holding or collection that was removed from Federal or Tribal lands after November 16, 1990, and must comply with § 10.7(c) of this part.

(1) No later than 180 days following receipt of a museum's statement, the Federal agency must respond to the museum and the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, with a written acknowledgement of one of the following:

(2) Failure to issue such a determination by the deadline constitutes acknowledgement that the Federal agency has possession or control. The Federal agency is responsible for the requirements of this subpart for any holdings or collections under its possession or control, regardless of the physical location of the holdings or collection.

(1) A summary must include:

(2) After January 12, 2024, a museum or Federal agency must submit a summary to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, by the deadline in Table 1 of this paragraph (a)(2).

(3) After January 12, 2024, when a holding or collection previously included in a summary is transferred to a museum or Federal agency, the museum or Federal agency acquiring possession or control of the holding or collection may rely on the previously compiled summary.

(4) Prior to January 12, 2024, a museum or Federal agency must have submitted a summary to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program:

(1) Consulting parties are any lineal descendant and any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with potential cultural affiliation.

(2) An invitation to consult must be in writing and must include:

(3) When a museum or Federal agency identifies a new consulting party under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the museum or Federal agency must invite the party to consult. An invitation to consult under paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be sent:

(1) In response to a consulting party, a museum or Federal agency must ask for the following information, if not already provided:

(2) Consultation must address identification of:

(3) The museum or Federal agency must prepare a record of consultation that describes the concurrence, disagreement, or nonresponse of the consulting parties to the identifications in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(4) At any time before a museum or Federal agency sends a repatriation statement for an unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony to a requestor under paragraph (g) of this section, the museum or Federal agency may receive a request from a consulting party for access to records, catalogues, relevant studies, or other pertinent data related to the holding or collection. A museum or Federal agency must provide access to the additional information in a reasonable manner and for the limited purpose of determining cultural affiliation, including the geographical location or acquisition history, of the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony.

(1) A request for repatriation of an unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony must be received by the museum or Federal agency before the museum or Federal agency sends a repatriation statement for that unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony to a requestor under paragraph (g) of this section. A request for repatriation received by the museum or Federal agency before the deadline for compiling a summary in table 1 to paragraph (a)(2) of this section is dated the same date as the deadline for compiling the summary.

(2) Requests from two or more lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations who agree to joint repatriation of the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony are considered a single request and not competing requests.

(3) A request for repatriation must satisfy the following criteria:

(1) The request meets the criteria under paragraph (d) of this section. The museum or Federal agency must submit a notice of intended repatriation under paragraph (f) of this section.

(2) The request does not meet the criteria under paragraph (d) of this section. The museum or Federal agency must provide a detailed explanation why the request does not meet the criteria and an opportunity for the requestor to provide additional information to meet the criteria.

(3) The request meets the criteria under paragraph (d)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section, but the museum or Federal agency asserts a right of possession to the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony and refuses repatriation of the requested object to the requestor. The museum or Federal agency must provide information to prove that the museum or Federal agency has a right of possession to the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony.

(4) The museum or Federal agency has received competing requests for repatriation of the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony that meet the criteria and must determine the most appropriate requestor using the procedures and deadlines under paragraph (h) of this section.

(1) A notice of intended repatriation must be sent to all requestors, any consulting parties, and to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, for publication in the Federal Register.

(2) A notice of intended repatriation must conform to the mandatory format of the Federal Register and include:

(3) No later than 21 days after receiving a notice of intended repatriation, the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, must:

(5) At any time before sending a repatriation statement for an unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony under paragraph (g) of this section, the museum or Federal agency may receive additional, competing requests for repatriation of that object that meet the criteria under paragraph (d) of this section. The museum or Federal agency must determine the most appropriate requestor using the procedures and deadlines under paragraph (h) of this section.

(1) After sending a repatriation statement, the museum or Federal agency must:

(2) After a repatriation statement is sent, nothing in the Act or this part limits the authority of the museum or Federal agency to enter into any agreement with the requestor concerning the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony.

(1) For an unassociated funerary object or sacred object, in the following priority order, the most appropriate requestor is:

(2) For an object of cultural patrimony, the most appropriate requestor is the Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with the closest cultural affiliation according to the priority order at § 10.3(e) of this part.

(3) No later than 14 days after receiving a competing request, a museum or Federal agency must send a written letter to each requestor identifying all requestors and the date each request was received. In response, the requestors may provide additional information to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the requestor has a stronger relationship of shared group identity to the cultural items.

(4) No later than 180 days after informing the requestors of competing requests, a museum or Federal agency must send a written determination to each requestor and the Manager, National NAGPRA Program. The determination must be one of the following:

(1) A court of competent jurisdiction has enjoined the repatriation. When there is a final resolution of the legal case or controversy in favor of a requestor, the museum or Federal agency must:

(2) The museum or Federal agency has received competing requests for repatriation and, after complying with paragraph (h) of this section, cannot determine the most appropriate requestor. When a most appropriate requestor is determined by an agreement between the parties, binding arbitration, or means of resolution other than through a court of competent jurisdiction, the museum or Federal agency must:

(3) Before the publication of a notice of intended repatriation under paragraph (f) of this section, the museum or Federal agency has both requested and received the Assistant Secretary's written concurrence that the unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony is indispensable for completion of a specific scientific study, the outcome of which is of major benefit to the people of the United States.

(1) The number of individuals identified in a reasonable manner based on the information available. No additional study or analysis is required to identify the number of individuals. If human remains are in a holding or collection, the number of individuals is at least one;

(2) The number of associated funerary objects and types of objects (counted separately or by lot);

(3) The geographical location (provenience) by county or State where the human remains or associated funerary objects were removed;

(4) The acquisition history (provenance) of the human remains or associated funerary objects;

(5) Other information available for identifying a lineal descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation; and

(6) The presence of any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the human remains or associated funerary objects, if known.

(1) Consulting parties are any lineal descendant and any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with potential cultural affiliation.

(2) An invitation to consult must be in writing and must include:

(3) When a museum or Federal agency identifies a new consulting party under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the museum or Federal agency must invite the party to consult. An invitation to consult under paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be sent:

(1) In the response to a consulting party, a museum or Federal agency must ask for the following information, if not already provided:

(2) Consultation must address identification of:

(3) The museum or Federal agency must prepare a record of consultation that describes the concurrence, disagreement, or nonresponse of the consulting parties to the identifications in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(4) At any time before the museum or Federal agency sends a repatriation statement for human remains or associated funerary objects to a requestor under paragraph (h) of this section, a museum or Federal agency may receive a request from a consulting party for access to records, catalogues, relevant studies, or other pertinent data related to those human remains or associated funerary objects. A museum or Federal agency must provide access to the additional information in a reasonable manner and for the limited purpose of determining cultural affiliation, including the geographical location or acquisition history, of the human remains or associated funerary objects.

(1) An inventory must include:

(2) After January 12, 2024, a museum or Federal agency must submit an inventory to all consulting parties and the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, by the deadline in table 1 of the paragraph (d)(2).

(3) No later than January 10, 2029, for any human remains or associated funerary objects listed in an inventory but not published in a notice of inventory completion prior to January 12, 2024, a museum or Federal agency must:

(4) After January 12, 2024, when a holding or collection previously included in an inventory is transferred to a museum or Federal Agency, subject to the limitations in 18 U.S.C. 1170(a), the museum or Federal agency acquiring possession or control of the holding or collection may rely on the previously completed or updated inventory.

(5) Any museum may request an extension to complete or update its inventory if it has made a good faith effort but is unable to do so by the appropriate deadline. A request for an extension must be submitted to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, before the appropriate deadline. The Manager, National NAGPRA Program must publish in the Federal Register a list of any museum who request an extension and the Assistant Secretary's determination on the request. A request for an extension must include:

(6) Prior to January 12, 2024, a museum or Federal agency must have submitted an inventory to all consulting parties and the Manager, National NAGPRA Program:

(1) A notice of inventory completion must be sent to any consulting parties and to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, for publication in the Federal Register.

(2) A notice of inventory completion must conform to the mandatory format of the Federal Register and include the following for all human remains or associated funerary objects in the notice:

(3) No later than 21 days after receiving a notice of inventory completion, the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, must:

(1) A request for repatriation of human remains or associated funerary objects must be received by the museum or Federal agency before the museum or Federal agency sends a repatriation statement for those human remains or associated funerary objects under paragraph (h) of this section. A request for repatriation received by the museum or Federal agency before the publication of the notice of inventory completion is dated the same date the notice was published.

(2) Requests from two or more lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations who agree to joint repatriation of the human remains or associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests.

(3) A request for repatriation must satisfy one of the following criteria:

(1) In the written response, the museum or Federal agency must state one of the following:

(2) At any time before sending a repatriation statement for human remains or associated funerary objects under paragraph (h) of this section, the museum or Federal agency may receive additional, competing requests for repatriation of those human remains or associated funerary objects that meet the criteria under paragraph (f) of this section. The museum or Federal agency must determine the most appropriate requestor using the procedures and deadlines under paragraph (i) of this section.

(1) After sending a repatriation statement, the museum or Federal agency must:

(2) After a repatriation statement is sent, nothing in the Act or this part limits the authority of the museum or Federal agency to enter into any agreement with the requestor concerning the human remains or associated funerary objects.

(1) In the following priority order, the most appropriate requestor is:

(2) No later than 14 days after receiving a competing request, a museum or Federal agency must send a written letter to each requestor identifying all requestors and the date each request for repatriation was received. In response, requestors may provide additional information to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the requestor has a stronger relationship of shared group identity to the human remains or associated funerary objects.

(3) No later than 180 days after informing the requestors of competing requests, a museum or Federal agency must send a written determination to each requestor and the Manager, National NAGPRA Program. The determination must be one of the following:

(1) A court of competent jurisdiction has enjoined the repatriation. When there is a final resolution of the legal case or controversy in favor of a requestor, the museum or Federal agency must:

(2) The museum or Federal agency has received competing requests for repatriation and, after complying with paragraph (i) of this section, cannot determine the most appropriate requestor. When a most appropriate requestor is determined by an agreement between the parties, binding arbitration, or means of resolution other than through a court of competent jurisdiction, the museum or Federal agency must:

(3) Before the publication of a notice of inventory completion under paragraph (e) of this section, the museum or Federal agency has both requested and received the Assistant Secretary's written concurrence that the human remains or associated funerary objects are indispensable for completion of a specific scientific study, the outcome of which is of major benefit to the people of the United States.

(1) Step 1—Agree to transfer or decide to reinter. A museum or Federal agency may:

(2) Step 2—Submit a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment. No later than 30 days after agreeing to transfer or deciding to reinter the human remains or associated funerary objects, the museum or Federal agency must submit a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment.

(3) Step 3—Transfer or reinter the human remains or associated funerary objects. No earlier than 30 days and no later than 90 days after publication of a notice of proposed transfer or reinterment, the museum or Federal agency must transfer or reinter the human remains or associated funerary objects and send a written statement to the Manager, National NAGPRA Program, that the transfer or reinterment is complete.

(1) Must include the name and contact information (either a mailing address, telephone number, or email address) of the person alleging the failure to comply;

(2) Must identify the specific provision or provisions of the Act or this subpart that the museum is alleged to have violated;

(3) May enumerate the separate violations alleged, including facts to support the number of separate violations. The number of separate violations is determined by establishing relevant factors such as:

(4) May include information showing that the museum has possession or control of human remains or cultural items involved in the alleged failure to comply; and

(5) May include information showing that the museum receives Federal funds.

(1) The Assistant Secretary may request any additional relevant information from the person making the allegation, the museum, or other parties. The Assistant Secretary may conduct any investigation that is necessary to determine whether an alleged failure to comply is substantiated. The Assistant Secretary may also investigate appropriate factors for justifying an increase or reduction to any penalty amount that may be calculated.

(2) If the allegation meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, the Assistant Secretary, after reviewing all relevant information, must determine one of the following for each alleged failure to comply:

(1) The base penalty amount is $8,531, subject to annual adjustments based on inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Pub. L. 114-74).

(2) The base penalty amount may be increased after considering:

(3) The base penalty amount may be reduced if:

(1) Provide a concise statement of the facts believed to show a failure to comply;

(2) Specifically reference the provisions of the Act and this subpart with which the museum has failed to comply;

(3) Include the proposed penalty amount calculated under paragraph (c) of this section;

(4) Include, where appropriate, any initial proposal to reduce or increase the penalty amount or an explanation of the determination that a penalty is not an appropriate remedy;

(5) Identify the options for responding to the notice of failure to comply under paragraph (e) of this section; and

(6) Inform the museum that the Assistant Secretary may assess a daily penalty amount under paragraph (m)(1) of this section if the failure to comply continues after the date the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary takes effect.

(1) Seek an informal discussion of the failure to comply;

(2) Request either or both of the following forms of relief, with a full explanation of the legal or factual basis for the requested relief:

(3) Accept the determination of a failure to comply and agree in writing, which constitutes an agreement between the Assistant Secretary and the museum, that the museum must:

(1) The assessment of a civil penalty is made after the latter of:

(2) If a petition for relief or informal discussion warrants a conclusion that no failure to comply has occurred, the Assistant Secretary must send written notification to the museum revoking the notice of failure to comply. No penalty is assessed.

(1) Specifically reference the provisions of the Act or this subpart with which the museum has not complied;

(2) Include the final amount of any penalty calculated under paragraph (c) of this section and the basis for determining the penalty amount;

(3) Include, where appropriate, any increase or reduction to the penalty amount or an explanation of the determination that a penalty is not an appropriate remedy;

(4) Include the daily penalty amount that the Assistant Secretary may assess under paragraph (m)(1) of this section if the failure to comply continues after the date the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary takes effect. The daily penalty amount for each continuing violation shall not exceed $1,707 per day, subject to annual adjustments based on inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Pub. L. 114-74);

(5) Identify the options for responding to the notice of assessment under paragraph (h) of this section; and

(6) Notify the museum that it has the right to seek judicial review of the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary only if it has exhausted all administrative remedies under this section, as set forth in paragraph (l) of this section.

(1) Accept the assessment and pay the penalty amount by means of a certified check made payable to the U.S. Treasurer, Washington, DC, sent to the Assistant Secretary. By paying the penalty amount, the museum waives the right to request a hearing under paragraph (i) of this section.

(2) File a written request for a hearing under paragraph (i) of this section to contest the failure to comply, the penalty assessment, or both. If the museum does not file a written request for a hearing in 45 days, the museum waives the right to request a hearing under paragraph (i) of this section.

(1) Include a copy of the notice of failure to comply and the notice of assessment;

(2) State the relief sought by the museum; and

(3) Include the basis for challenging the facts used to determine the failure to comply or the penalty assessment.

(1) To the extent they are not inconsistent with this section, the rules in the subparts applicable to DCHD in 43 CFR part 4 apply to the hearing process.

(2) Subject to the provisions of 43 CFR 1.3, a museum may appear by authorized representative or by counsel and may participate fully in the proceedings. If the museum does not appear and the administrative law judge determines that this absence is without good cause, the administrative law judge may, at his or her discretion, determine that the museum has waived the right to a hearing and consents to the making of a decision on the record.

(3) The Department of the Interior counsel is designated by the Office of the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior. No later than 20 days after receipt of its copy of the written request for hearing, Departmental counsel must file with the DCHD an entry of appearance on behalf of the Assistant Secretary and the following:

(4) After Departmental counsel files an entry of appearance with DCHD, the museum must serve each document filed with the administrative law judge on Departmental counsel.

(5) In a hearing on the penalty assessment, the amount of the penalty assessment must be determined in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of this section and may not be limited to the amount originally assessed or by any previous reduction, increase, or offer of mitigation.

(6) The administrative law judge has all powers necessary to conduct a fair, orderly, expeditious, and impartial hearing process, and to render a decision, under 5 U.S.C. 554-557 and 25 U.S.C. 3007.

(7) The administrative law judge must render a written decision. The decision must set forth the findings of fact and conclusions of law, and the reasons and basis for them.

(8) The administrative law judge's decision takes effect as the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary 31 days from the date of the decision unless the museum files a notice of appeal as described in paragraph (k) of this section.

(1) To the extent they are not inconsistent with this section, the provisions of 43 CFR part 4, subpart D, apply to the appeal process. The appeal board's decision must be in writing and takes effect as the final penalty assessment and the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary on the date that the appeal board's decision is rendered, unless otherwise specified in the appeal board's decision.

(2) OHA decisions in proceedings instituted under this section are posted on OHA's website.

(1) If the failure to comply continues after the date the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary takes effect, as described in paragraphs (g), (j)(6), or (k)(1) of this section, or after a date identified in an agreement under paragraph (e)(3) of this section, the Assistant Secretary may assess an additional daily penalty amount for each continuing violation not to exceed $1,707 per day, subject to annual adjustments based on inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Pub. L. 114-74). In determining the daily penalty amount, the Assistant Secretary must consider the factors in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. This penalty starts to accrue on the day after the effective date of the final administrative decision of the Assistant Secretary or on the date identified in an agreement under paragraph (e)(3) of this section.

(2) If the museum fails to pay the penalty, the Attorney General of the United States may institute a civil action to collect the penalty in an appropriate U.S. District Court. In such action, the validity and amount of the penalty are not subject to review by the court.

(1) Three members are appointed from nominations submitted by Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and traditional religious leaders. At least two of these members must be traditional Indian religious leaders. A traditional Indian religious leader is a person who an Indian Tribe identifies as serving it in the practice of traditional Native American religion.

(2) Three members are appointed from nominations submitted by national museum organizations or national scientific organizations. An organization that is created by, is a part of, and is governed in any way by a parent national museum or scientific organization must submit a nomination through the parent organization. National museum organizations and national scientific organizations are organizations that:

(3) One member is appointed from a list of more than one person developed and consented to by all other appointed members specified in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section.

(1) An affected party is either a:

(2) The Review Committee may make an advisory finding of fact on questions related to:

(3) The Review Committee may make an advisory recommendation on disputes between affected parties. To facilitate the resolution of disputes, the Review Committee may: