Bill > HR144

This Resolution urges the United States Congress to hold a Congressional Oversight Hearing to investigate the State Historic Preservation Division, specifically concerning its failure to follow state and federal laws. It also calls for amendments to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), a federal law that provides a process for the repatriation of Native American cultural items, including human remains and funerary objects, to require that Native American Indian Tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian organizations give their free, prior, and informed consent before any development projects are approved on lands that may impact their ancestral sites or cultural heritage. This request stems from a history of alleged mismanagement, underfunding, and desecration of Native Hawaiian burial sites and remains by the State Historic Preservation Division, despite existing laws and audits highlighting these issues.