119-hr347

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

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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