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Union Calendar No. 358 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2560 

[Report No. 118–433] 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue 

Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2023 

Mr. KEATING introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

APRIL 2, 2024 

Additional sponsors: Mr. GARBARINO, Mr. SOTO, Ms. DELBENE, Mrs. 

GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, Ms. MACE, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. MAGAZINER, Mr. TIMMONS, Mr. FRY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. 

MFUME, and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina 

APRIL 2, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 10, 2023] 


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A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea 

Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other 

purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue As5 sistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE AND REHABILI7 TATION GRANT PROGRAM. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a 

9 grant program, to be known as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue As10 sistance and Rehabilitation Grant Program’’, to encourage 

11 and facilitate coordinated rapid response and rescue by 

12 awarding grants for the purposes described in subsection 

13 (c). 

14 (b) DESIGNATION OF STRANDING AND REHABILITA15 TION REGIONS.—The Secretary shall designate geographic 

16 regions of the United States as stranding and rehabilitation 

17 regions for the purposes of carrying out this section. 

18 (c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Program are to 

19 provide for— 

20 (1) the recovery, short- or long-term care, trans21 portation, and treatment of stranded marine turtles; 

22 (2) the release of rescued and recovered marine 

23 turtles; 


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1 (3) the collection of data and samples from 

2 stranded marine turtles for scientific research related 

3 to marine turtle health; and 

4 (4) facility operation costs that are directly re5 lated to activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), 

6 and (3). 

7 (d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The Sec8 retary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that funds 

9 awarded under this section are distributed equitably among 

10 stranding and rehabilitation regions, taking into account— 

11 (1) the number of stranding and rehabilitation 

12 events that occurred in each stranding and rehabilita13 tion region in the preceding 5 years; and 

14 (2) the conservation priorities and recovery needs 

15 of species of marine turtles that are threatened or en16 dangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 

17 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

18 (e) APPLICATION.—An applicant for a grant under 

19 this section shall submit an application in such form and 

20 manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. 

21 (f) GRANT CRITERIA.— 

22 (1) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA.—The Secretary 

23 shall, in consultation with the Director of the United 

24 States Fish and Wildlife Service, establish by regulaVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:47 Apr 02, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H2560.RH H2560

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1 tion appropriate criteria for awarding grants under 

2 this section. 

3 (2) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.—As part of 

4 the process for developing and finalizing criteria 

5 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, in consulta6 tion with the Director of the United States Fish and 

7 Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for engagement 

8 with representatives from stranding and rehabilita9 tion regions and representatives of State governments 

10 and public and private organizations with an estab11 lished record in coordination, rescue, rehabilitation, 

12 and release, as well as related scientific research, ma13 rine conservation, and forensic science, with respect to 

14 stranded marine turtles. 

15 (3) REQUIRED CRITERIA.—The criteria devel16 oped under paragraph (1) shall prioritize applicants 

17 with an established record of coordination, rescuing, 

18 rehabilitation, scientific research, and forensic science 

19 with respect to stranded and rehabilitated marine 

20 turtles or conducting scientific research and forensic 

21 science on stranded and rehabilitated marine turtles. 

22 (g) LIMITATIONS.— 

23 (1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—No grant 

24 awarded under this section may exceed $150,000 in 

25 any 12-month period. 


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1 (2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Federal 

2 share of the costs of an activity conducted with a 

3 grant awarded under the Program shall be not less 

4 than 50 percent of such costs, including in-kind serv5 ices and the use of property. 

6 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) MARINE TURTLE.—The term ‘‘marine turtle’’ 

8 means any member of the family Cheloniidae or 

9 Dermochelyidae. 

10 (2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means the 

11 Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation 

12 Grant Program established under subsection (a). 

13 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

14 the Secretary of Commerce. 

15 (4) STRANDING.—The term ‘‘stranding’’ means 

16 an event in which— 

17 (A) a marine turtle is dead and is— 

18 (i) on a beach or shore of the United 

19 States; or 

20 (ii) in waters under the jurisdiction of 

21 the United States (including any navigable 

22 waters); or 

23 (B) a marine turtle is alive and is— 

24 (i) on a beach or shore of the United 

25 States and unable to return to the water; 


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1 (ii) on a beach or shore of the United 

2 States and in need of medical attention; or 

3 (iii) in waters under the jurisdiction of 

4 the United States (including any navigable 

5 waters), and in need of medical attention or 

6 other necessary intervention to aid its likeli7 hood of survival. 

8 (5) STRANDING AND REHABILITATION REGION.— 

9 The term ‘‘stranding and rehabilitation region’’ 

10 means a geographic region designated by the Sec11 retary under subsection (b). 


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Union Calendar No. 358 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2560 

[Report No. 118–433] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish 

gram, and for other purposes. the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant ProAPRIL 2, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS