Here's a link to an article on the recently signed California bill
concerning ivory trade:

  http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28920271/ 
  Elephant ivory: Nearly all sales in California banned after governor
  signs conservation bill ... By signing AB 96, Gov. Brown ...

The full text of Calif. Assembly Bill No. 96 clarifies the exemption
for musical instruments:

  (c) The prohibitions set forth in subdivision (b) shall not apply to
  any of the following:
  ...
  (3) Ivory or rhinoceros horn that is part of a musical instrument,
  including, but not limited to, a string or wind instrument or piano,
  and that is less than 20 percent by volume of the instrument, if the
  owner or seller provides historical documentation demonstrating
  provenance and showing the item was manufactured no later than 1975.

Ref. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB96 

Ann Donoghue

 [ Thanks, Ann.  I've halted MMD discussion about ivory regulations
 [ until something concrete happens and is reported by Piano Technicians
 [ Guild (PTG).  The notice of proposed revisions reported in 150819
 [ MMDigest http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/201508/2015.08.19.04.html 
 [ indicates something _might_ happen next year at the
 [ Federal level.  MMDigest articles about ivory are indexed at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/I/ivory.html  -- Robbie