1024-AE19 202104 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 1024 National Park Service NPS 1000 Department of the Interior DOI Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Regulations

This rule would revise the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) implementing regulations. The rule would eliminate ambiguities, correct inaccuracies, simplify excessively burdensome and complicated requirements, clarify timelines, and remove offensive terminology in the existing regulations that have inhibited the respectful repatriation of most Native American human remains. This rule would simplify and improve the regulatory process for repatriation and thereby advance the goals of racial justice, equity, and inclusion.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Proposed Rule Stage No No 43 CFR 10 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq. No NPRM 10/00/2021 Since the passage of NAGPRA in 1990, it has been the policy of the United States that human remains of any ancestry must always be treated with dignity and respect. Yet in the last 30 years, less than half of the Native American human remains in collections have been repatriated to their traditional caretakers. The proposed revisions to the existing regulatory requirements would respect the civil rights and sovereignty of Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiians to repatriate their ancestors and cultural items. The proposed rule responds to regular and repeated requests for regulatory revisions and would reduce the regulatory burden on all parties by streamlining requirements in accessible language with clear timelines, removing ambiguity, and improving efficiency. The proposed rule would likely have a positive net benefit, justifying any temporary cost increase. No No None No No www.nps.gov/nagpra No No Melanie O'Brien National NAGPRA Program Manager 1024 National Park Service NPS 202 354-2204 melanie_o'brien@nps.gov National NAGPRA Program, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240