I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2560 

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 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

6 SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE GRANT PRO7 GRAM. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

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

10 Assistance Grant Program’’, to encourage and facilitate 


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1 coordinated rapid response and rescue by awarding grants 

2 for the purposes described in subsection (c). 

3 (b) DESIGNATION OF STRANDING REGIONS.—The 

4 Secretary shall designate geographic regions of the United 

5 States as stranding regions for the purposes of carrying 

6 out this section. 

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

8 provide for— 

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

10 transportation, and treatment of stranded marine 

11 turtles; 

12 (2) the release of rescued and recovered marine 

13 turtles; 

14 (3) the collection of data and samples from 

15 stranded marine turtles for scientific research or as16 sessments regarding marine turtle health, including 

17 tagging information; and 

18 (4) facility operation costs that are directly re19 lated to activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), 

20 and (3). 

21 (d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The 

22 Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that 

23 funds awarded under this section are distributed equitably 

24 among stranding regions, taking into account— 


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1 (1) the number of stranding events that oc2 curred in each stranding region in the preceding 5 

3 years; and 

4 (2) the conservation priorities and recovery 

5 needs of species of marine turtles that are threat6 ened or endangered under the Endangered Species 

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

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

9 this section shall submit an application in such form and 

10 manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. 

11 (f) GRANT CRITERIA.— 

12 (1) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA.—The Sec13 retary shall, in consultation with the Director of the 

14 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, establish by 

15 regulation appropriate criteria for awarding grants 

16 under this section. 

17 (2) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.—As part of 

18 the process for developing and finalizing criteria 

19 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, in con20 sultation with the Director of the United States Fish 

21 and Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for en22 gagement with representatives from stranding re23 gions and representatives of public and private orga24 nizations with an established record in rescue, reha25 bilitation, and release, as well as related scientific reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:16 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2560.IH H2560

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1 search, marine conservation, and forensic science, 

2 with respect to stranded marine turtles. 

3 (3) REQUIRED CRITERIA.—The criteria devel4 oped under paragraph (1) shall prioritize applicants 

5 with an established record of rescuing, rehabilita6 tion, scientific research, and forensic science with re7 spect to stranded marine turtles or conducting sci8 entific research and forensic science on stranded ma9 rine turtles. 

10 (g) LIMITATIONS.— 

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

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

13 any 12-month period. 

14 (2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Fed15 eral share of the costs of an activity conducted with 

16 a grant awarded under the Program shall be not less 

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

18 services and the use of property. 

19 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

20 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

21 out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 

22 through 2029 to remain available until expended. Not 

23 more than 3 percent shall be used for administrative ex24 penses to carry out this Act. 

25 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) MARINE TURTLE.—The term ‘‘marine tur2 tle’’ means any member of the family Cheloniidae or 

3 Dermochelyidae. 

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

5 the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program 

6 established under subsection (a). 

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

8 the Secretary of Commerce. 

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

10 an event in which— 

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

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

13 States; or 

14 (ii) in waters under the jurisdiction of 

15 the United States (including any navigable 

16 waters); or 

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

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

19 States and unable to return to the water; 

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

21 States and in need of medical attention; or 

22 (iii) in waters under the jurisdiction 

23 of the United States (including any navi24 gable waters), and in need of medical atVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:16 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2560.IH H2560

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1 tention or other necessary intervention to 

2 aid its likelihood of survival. 

3 (5) STRANDING REGION.—The term ‘‘stranding 

4 region’’ means a geographic region designated by the 

5 Secretary under subsection (b). 

Æ 


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