119-hr4062

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4062 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4062

To encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other stakeholders to 
conserve and sustain the western population of monarch butterflies, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 20, 2025

 Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Norton, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. 
Costa, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Min, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Stanton, and Mrs. 
 Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
 jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other stakeholders to 
conserve and sustain the western population of monarch butterflies, and 
 for other purposes.

 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 ``Monarch Action, Recovery, and 
Conservation of Habitat Act of 2025'' or the ``MONARCH Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that--

    (1) the population of western monarch butterflies is at 
 imminent risk of extinction;

    (2) over the past 3 decades, the population of western 
 monarch butterflies has declined by more than 99 percent due to 
 prolonged drought, loss of milkweed and native pollinator 
 habitat, loss of breeding and overwintering habitat, and 
 climate change;

    (3) in 2020, the population of western monarch butterflies 
 reached a new historic low of 1,914 butterflies, falling below 
 the predicted extinction threshold for the third year in a row;

    (4) in 2024, the population of western monarch butterflies 
 reached the second lowest on record, with less than 10,000 
 butterflies recorded;

    (5) the extinction of the population of migratory western 
 monarch butterflies is now likely to occur within the next 2 
 decades if urgent action is not taken;

    (6) actively restoring native milkweed and nectar plants, 
 monarch overwintering habitat, and other pollinator habitat, 
 and ensuring that key habitats are protected from destruction, 
 are critical to ensuring the survival of western monarch 
 butterflies and can also help facilitate conservation of other 
 essential pollinators; and

    (7) enhancing pollinator populations can result in improved 
 pollination services for neighboring land, including 
 agriculture and wildlife ecosystems.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Conservation.--The term ``conservation'' means the use 
 of each method or procedure necessary to protect habitats of 
 western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the 
 range of western monarch butterflies, including--
        (A) the protection, restoration, and management of 
 overwintering, breeding, and migratory habitats;
        (B) assistance in the development and 
 implementation of national, regional, State, Tribal, 
 and local conservation and management plans; and
            (C) community outreach and education.

    (2) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Western Monarch 
 Butterfly Rescue Fund established by 

section 5

    (a) .

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior.

    (4) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government'' 
 means the governing body of a federally recognized Indian 
 Tribe.

    (5) Western monarch butterfly.--The term ``western monarch 
 butterfly'' means the monarch butterfly population that 
 overwinters along the coast of the State of California and 
 breeds across the States of California, Arizona, Nevada, 
 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.

SEC. 4. WESTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds and in 
consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, amounts deposited in 
the Fund shall be available to the Secretary to provide grants for 
projects for the conservation of western monarch butterflies, and other 
pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies, for which 
project proposals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this 
section.

    (b) Project Proposals.--

    (1) Eligible entities.--An entity that is eligible to 
 receive a grant for a project under this section is--
        (A) a relevant local government or Tribal 
 government agency, research institution, or nonprofit 
 organization with expertise required for the 
 conservation of western monarch butterflies and other 
 pollinators within the range of western monarch 
 butterflies; and
        (B) any other entity, as determined appropriate by 
 the Secretary, with the expertise required for the 
 conservation of western monarch butterflies and other 
 pollinators within the range of western monarch 
 butterflies.

    (2) Federal partnership opportunities.--A State or Federal 
 agency--
        (A) may not be a lead entity or receive a grant for 
 a project under this section; but
        (B) may be included as a partner or collaborator on 
 a project that receives a grant under this section.

    (3) Required elements.--A proposal for a project under this 
 section shall include--
        (A) a statement of the purposes of the project;
        (B) the name of the entity with overall 
 responsibility for the project;
            (C) a description of--
            (i) the qualifications of the entity that 
 will conduct the project;
            (ii) methods for project implementation and 
 outcome assessment; and
            (iii) anticipated outcomes;
            (D) assurances that the project will be implemented 
 in consultation with relevant wildlife management 
 authorities, Tribal governments, and other appropriate 
 local government, State government, and Federal 
 Government agencies;
        (E) assurances that the conservation efforts 
 outlined in the proposal do not conflict with food 
 safety measures or practices;
        (F) information that demonstrates the clear 
 potential of the project to contribute to the 
 conservation and recovery of western monarch 
 butterflies and other pollinators within the range of 
 western monarch butterflies; and
        (G) such other information as the Secretary may 
 require.
            (c) Project Review and Approval.--The Secretary shall annually--

    (1) solicit project proposals for funding under this 
 section; and

    (2) review each proposal described in paragraph

    (1) on a 
 timeline that recognizes the urgency of the declining number of 
 western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the 
 range of western monarch butterflies to determine whether the 
 proposal meets the criteria described in subsection
            (d) .
            (d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a project 
proposal under this section if the proposal demonstrates a likelihood 
that the project will contribute to the conservation of western monarch 
butterfly populations in the wild.

    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance for a project that receives a grant under this section.

    (f) Project Reporting.--

    (1) In general.--Each entity that receives a grant for a 
 project under this section shall submit to the Secretary, at 
 such intervals as the Secretary may require, reports that 
 include any information that the Secretary determines is 
 necessary to evaluate the progress and success of the project 
 for the purposes of ensuring positive results, assessing 
 problems, and fostering improvements.

    (2) Availability to state legislatures.--At the request of 
 the Governor of the State in which a project is conducted, each 
 entity that receives a grant for a project under this section 
 shall submit each report under paragraph

    (1) to the State 
 legislature of that State.

    (3) Availability to the public.--The Secretary shall make 
 available to the public, in a timely manner--
        (A) each report submitted under paragraph

    (1) ; and
        (B) any other documents relating to projects for 
 which a grant is provided under this section.

SEC. 5. WESTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESCUE FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a fund, to be known as the ``Western Monarch Butterfly 
Rescue Fund''.

    (b) Administrative Expenses.--Of the amounts available in the Fund 
for each fiscal year, the Secretary may expend not more than 3 percent 
to pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry out this Act.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for deposit into the Fund $12,500,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030, to remain available until expended.

SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION 
 PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation pursuant to the National Fish 
and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) to 
facilitate updating and implementing the Western Monarch Butterfly 
Conservation Plan prepared by the Western Association of Fish and 
Wildlife Agencies and dated January 2019.

    (b) Administration.--

Section 10

    (a) of the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3709

    (a) ) shall not 
apply with respect to--

    (1) the agreement entered into under subsection

    (a) ; or

    (2) amounts made available to carry out this section.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $12,500,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

 Not later than January 31 of each year, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report describing the status of western monarch 
butterflies, including, with respect to the year for which the report 
is submitted--

    (1) a summary of the projects for which the Secretary has 
 provided funding under 

section 4 and an evaluation of those 
 projects; and

    (2) a summary of the projects for which the Secretary has 
 provided funding through the Western Monarch Butterfly 
 Conservation Plan prepared by the Western Association of Fish 
 and Wildlife Agencies and dated January 2019.
 <all>