II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2560 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 15 (legislative day, APRIL 10), 2024 

Received 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea 

Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other 

purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue As3 sistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE AND REHABILI5 TATION GRANT PROGRAM. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

7 a grant program, to be known as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue 

8 Assistance and Rehabilitation Grant Program’’, to encour9 age and facilitate coordinated rapid response and rescue 

10 by awarding grants for the purposes described in sub11 section (c). 

12 (b) DESIGNATION OF STRANDING AND REHABILITA13 TION REGIONS.—The Secretary shall designate geographic 

14 regions of the United States as stranding and rehabilita15 tion regions for the purposes of carrying out this section. 

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

17 provide for— 

18 (1) the recovery, short- or long-term care, 

19 transportation, and treatment of stranded marine 

20 turtles; 

21 (2) the release of rescued and recovered marine 

22 turtles; 

23 (3) the collection of data and samples from 

24 stranded marine turtles for scientific research re25 lated to marine turtle health; and 


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1 (4) facility operation costs that are directly re2 lated to activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), 

3 and (3). 

4 (d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The 

5 Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that 

6 funds awarded under this section are distributed equitably 

7 among stranding and rehabilitation regions, taking into 

8 account— 

9 (1) the number of stranding and rehabilitation 

10 events that occurred in each stranding and rehabili11 tation region in the preceding 5 years; and 

12 (2) the conservation priorities and recovery 

13 needs of species of marine turtles that are threat14 ened or endangered under the Endangered Species 

15 Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

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

17 this section shall submit an application in such form and 

18 manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. 

19 (f) GRANT CRITERIA.— 

20 (1) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA.—The Sec21 retary shall, in consultation with the Director of the 

22 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, establish by 

23 regulation appropriate criteria for awarding grants 

24 under this section. 


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1 (2) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.—As part of 

2 the process for developing and finalizing criteria 

3 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, in con4 sultation with the Director of the United States Fish 

5 and Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for en6 gagement with representatives from stranding and 

7 rehabilitation regions and representatives of State 

8 governments and public and private organizations 

9 with an established record in coordination, rescue, 

10 rehabilitation, and release, as well as related sci11 entific research, marine conservation, and forensic 

12 science, with respect to stranded marine turtles. 

13 (3) REQUIRED CRITERIA.—The criteria devel14 oped under paragraph (1) shall prioritize applicants 

15 with an established record of coordination, rescuing, 

16 rehabilitation, scientific research, and forensic 

17 science with respect to stranded and rehabilitated 

18 marine turtles or conducting scientific research and 

19 forensic science on stranded and rehabilitated ma20 rine turtles. 

21 (g) LIMITATIONS.— 

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

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

24 any 12-month period. 


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1 (2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Fed2 eral share of the costs of an activity conducted with 

3 a grant awarded under the Program shall be not less 

4 than 50 percent of such costs, including in-kind 

5 services and the use of property. 

6 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) MARINE TURTLE.—The term ‘‘marine tur8 tle’’ means any member of the family Cheloniidae or 

9 Dermochelyidae. 

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

11 the 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 

4 of the United States (including any navi5 gable waters), and in need of medical at6 tention or other necessary intervention to 

7 aid its likelihood of survival. 

8 (5) STRANDING AND REHABILITATION RE9 GION.—The term ‘‘stranding and rehabilitation re10 gion’’ means a geographic region designated by the 

11 Secretary under subsection (b). 

Passed the House of Representatives April 11, 2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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