IB 
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. MAG-
AZINER, 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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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue As-
sistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE AND REHABILI-
TATION GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a 
grant program, to be known as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue As-
sistance and Rehabilitation Grant Program’’, to encourage 
and facilitate coordinated rapid response and rescue by 
awarding grants for the purposes described in subsection 
(c). 
(b) DESIGNATION OF STRANDING AND REHABILITA-
TION REGIONS.—The Secretary shall designate geographic 
regions of the United States as stranding and rehabilitation 
regions for the purposes of carrying out this section. 
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Program are to 
provide for— 
(1) the recovery, short- or long-term care, trans-
portation, and treatment of stranded marine turtles; 
(2) the release of rescued and recovered marine 
turtles; 
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(3) the collection of data and samples from 
stranded marine turtles for scientific research related 
to marine turtle health; and 
(4) facility operation costs that are directly re-
lated to activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), 
and (3). 
(d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The Sec-
retary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that funds 
awarded under this section are distributed equitably among 
stranding and rehabilitation regions, taking into account— 
(1) the number of stranding and rehabilitation 
events that occurred in each stranding and rehabilita-
tion region in the preceding 5 years; and 
(2) the conservation priorities and recovery needs 
of species of marine turtles that are threatened or en-
dangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
(e) APPLICATION.—An applicant for a grant under 
this section shall submit an application in such form and 
manner as the Secretary shall prescribe. 
(f) GRANT CRITERIA.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA.—The Secretary 
shall, in consultation with the Director of the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service, establish by regula-
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tion appropriate criteria for awarding grants under 
this section. 
(2) STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT.—As part of 
the process for developing and finalizing criteria 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, in consulta-
tion with the Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for engagement 
with representatives from stranding and rehabilita-
tion regions and representatives of State governments 
and public and private organizations with an estab-
lished record in coordination, rescue, rehabilitation, 
and release, as well as related scientific research, ma-
rine conservation, and forensic science, with respect to 
stranded marine turtles. 
(3) REQUIRED
CRITERIA.—The criteria devel-
oped under paragraph (1) shall prioritize applicants 
with an established record of coordination, rescuing, 
rehabilitation, scientific research, and forensic science 
with respect to stranded and rehabilitated marine 
turtles or conducting scientific research and forensic 
science on stranded and rehabilitated marine turtles. 
(g) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
GRANT.—No grant 
awarded under this section may exceed $150,000 in 
any 12-month period. 
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(2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Federal 
share of the costs of an activity conducted with a 
grant awarded under the Program shall be not less 
than 50 percent of such costs, including in-kind serv-
ices and the use of property. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) MARINE TURTLE.—The term ‘‘marine turtle’’ 
means any member of the family Cheloniidae or 
Dermochelyidae. 
(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means the 
Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation 
Grant Program established under subsection (a). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
(4) STRANDING.—The term ‘‘stranding’’ means 
an event in which— 
(A) a marine turtle is dead and is— 
(i) on a beach or shore of the United 
States; or 
(ii) in waters under the jurisdiction of 
the United States (including any navigable 
waters); or 
(B) a marine turtle is alive and is— 
(i) on a beach or shore of the United 
States and unable to return to the water; 
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(ii) on a beach or shore of the United 
States and in need of medical attention; or 
(iii) in waters under the jurisdiction of 
the United States (including any navigable 
waters), and in need of medical attention or 
other necessary intervention to aid its likeli-
hood of survival. 
(5) STRANDING AND REHABILITATION REGION.— 
The term ‘‘stranding and rehabilitation region’’ 
means a geographic region designated by the Sec-
retary under subsection (b). 
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