National Museum of the American Indian Act Amendments of 1996
Public Law 104-278 · S. 1970 · 104th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 9, 1996 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Daniel Inouye, Sen. Craig Thomas,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
National Museum of the American Indian Act Amendments of 1996 - Amends the National Museum of the American Indian Act to require the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) complete the inventory of the Indian human remains and Indian funerary objects in the possession or control of the Smithsonian Institution by June 1998; (2) provide a written summary of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony; and (3) expedite the repatriation of such objects where a requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show cultural affiliation.
Modifies certain provisions respecting the special committee to review the inventory, identification, and return of Indian human remains and Indian funerary objects.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Oct 9, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-278.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 28, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 26, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Thomas moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 19, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Committee on House Administration
- Sep 9, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 5, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 2, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jul 24, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jul 18, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.