119-s843

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 843 Reported in Senate

    (RS) ]

<DOC>

 Calendar No. 118
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 843

 [Report No. 119-41]

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 4, 2025

 Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Graham, Mr. Van 
 Hollen, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation

 July 16, 2025

 Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
 [Insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

 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.'';

    (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 be 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) --
        (A) in paragraph

    (1) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (A) , by inserting 
 ``marine mammal rescue and response'' after 
 ``to carry out the'';
            (ii) by redesignating subparagraph
        (B) as 
 subparagraph
            (C) ;
            (iii) by inserting after clause
            (ii) of 
 subparagraph
        (A) the following:
 ``
        (B) Authorization of appropriations with respect 
 to sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response.--
 There is authorized to be appropriated for the 
 Secretary of Commerce to carry out the sea turtle 
 rescue, rehabilitation, and response grant program 
 under subsection

    (b)

    (10) , $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
 years 2025 through 2030, to remain available until 
 expended.''; and
            (iv) in subparagraph
            (C) , as redesignated 
 by clause
            (ii) , by inserting ``or
        (B) '' after 
 ``subparagraph
        (A) ''; and
        (B) by striking paragraph

    (2) and inserting the 
 following:
 ``

    (2) Rescue and rapid response funds.--There is authorized 
 to be appropriated--
 ``
        (A) to the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue 
 and Rapid Response Fund $500,000 for each of fiscal 
 years 2025 through 2030; and
 ``
        (B) to the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and 
 Rapid Response Fund $500,000 for each of fiscal years 
 2025 through 2030.''.
 Calendar No. 118

119th CONGRESS

 1st Session

 S. 843

 [Report No. 119-41]

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 July 16, 2025

 Reported by with an amendment