Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 347

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue 
                       Assistance Grant Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2025

 Mr. Keating introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue 
                       Assistance Grant Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and 
Rehabilitation Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE, REHABILITATION, AND RESPONSE.

    Section 408 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1421f-1) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) Sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
                appropriations specific to address sea turtle rescue, 
                rehabilitation, and response, the Secretary of Commerce 
                and the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                Service shall include separate eligibility for grants 
                under this subsection to address the purposes described 
                in paragraph (2) with respect to sea turtles.
                    ``(B) Conditions of grant.--A grant awarded under 
                this subsection to address sea turtle rescue, 
                rehabilitation, and response shall--
                            ``(i) include the equivalent grant criteria 
                        and administration authorities and requirements 
                        described under paragraph (3), subparagraphs 
                        (A) and (B) of paragraph (4), and paragraphs 
                        (5) through (9), developed, as appropriate, and 
                        awarded separately for sea turtles and in 
                        consultation with the United States Fish and 
                        Wildlife Service in lieu of the Marine Mammal 
                        Commission; and
                            ``(ii) in addition to the considerations 
                        under paragraph (4)(B), also consider 
                        rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles.
                    ``(C) Eligibility criteria.--In order to apply for 
                a grant awarded under this subsection to address sea 
                turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response, an entity 
                shall--
                            ``(i) submit an application described in 
                        paragraph (5) to the Secretary of Commerce with 
                        respect to sea turtles;
                            ``(ii) be authorized by and in compliance 
                        with--
                                    ``(I) an authorization issued under 
                                section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered 
                                Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
                                1539(a)(1)(A)) with respect to sea 
                                turtles; or
                                    ``(II) a cooperative agreement 
                                entered into under section 6 of the 
                                Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
                                U.S.C. 1535) with respect to sea 
                                turtles;
                            ``(iii) comply with the standard conditions 
                        for care and maintenance of captive sea turtles 
                        prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior 
                        when relevant facilities will be utilized for 
                        such purposes; and
                            ``(iv) comply with all relevant data 
                        reporting requirements, such as the Sea Turtle 
                        Stranding and Salvage Network data collection 
                        requirements.
                    ``(D) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary of 
                Commerce and the Director of the United States Fish and 
                Wildlife Service to carry out this paragraph shall 
                terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
                the enactment of this paragraph.'';
            (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Rescue and Rapid Response Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is established in the Treasury of 
        the United States--
                    ``(A) an interest-bearing fund to known as the 
                `Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid 
                Response Fund'; and
                    ``(B) an interest-bearing fund to be known as the 
                `Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response 
                Fund'.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--Amounts in the funds established under 
        paragraph (1) shall be available only for use by the Secretary 
        to provide emergency assistance.''; and
            (3) in subsection (d)(1)(A), by inserting ``marine mammal 
        rescue and response'' after ``to carry out the''.
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