Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 718.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 17, 2017
Allowing Alaska to Improve Vital Opportunities in the Rural Economy Act or the Allowing Alaska IVORY Act
This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to revise an exemption for Alaskan natives from a moratorium on taking and importing marine mammals and marine mammal products with respect to ivory from walruses, whales, or mammoths. Under current law, the term "take" means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill a marine mammal.
States may not prohibit: (1) the importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter, or possession of ivory from walruses or whales if the ivory is legally produced by Alaskan natives as an authentic native article of handicrafts and clothing; or (2) the importation, sale, transfer, trade, or possession of mammoth ivory or mammoth ivory products.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 718.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-415. Supplemental views filed.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-415. Supplemental views filed.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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