AB 2836: Native Americans: repatriation.

Existing law, the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001 (California act), requires all agencies and museums that receive state funding that have possession or control over collections of California Native American human remains or cultural items, as defined, to inventory those remains and items for the identification and repatriation of the items to the appropriate Indian tribes. The California act states the intent of the Legislature to apply the states repatriation policy consistent with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (federal act) and to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the federal act with respect to publicly funded agencies and museums in California. Existing law establishes the Native American Heritage Commission and vests the commission with specified powers and duties.

Existing provisions of the California Constitution establish the University of California as a public trust under the administration of the Regents of the University of California. The California Constitution grants to the regents all the powers necessary or convenient for the effective administration of this public trust, subject to such legislative control as may be necessary to insure the security of its funds, compliance with the terms of the endowments of the university, and certain competitive bidding procedures.

This bill would require the regents, or their designee, as a condition for using state funds to handle and maintain Native American human remains and cultural items, to establish and support a systemwide Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Implementation and Oversight Committee, with specified membership, and, for any campus subject to the federal act, a campus implementation committee, with specified membership. The bill would require the regents, as a condition for using state funds to handle and maintain Native American human remains and cultural items, in consultation with the systemwide committee, to adopt and implement certain policies and procedures to better implement the federal act and to timely submit the policies and procedures to the Native American Heritage Commission for review and comment by July 1, 2019. The bill would make conforming changes to the powers and duties of the Native American Heritage Commission. The bill would require the regents, as a condition for using state funds to handle and maintain Native American human remains and cultural items, to ensure that the campus committees implement the policies and procedures adopted by the regents and reviewed by the Native American Heritage Commission. The bill would provide that, if the regents use state funds to handle and maintain Native American human remains and cultural items, all claims for repatriation or claims of any violation of the policies and procedures shall be submitted to the campus committee for determination and would require the regents to adopt procedures to support appeals and dispute resolution in cases where a tribe disagrees with a campus determination regarding repatriation or disposition of cultural items directly to the systemwide committee. The bill would require the California State Auditor to conduct an audit commencing in the year 2019 and again in 2021 regarding the University of Californias compliance with the federal and California acts and to report its findings to the Legislature and to all other appropriate entities.