I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5920 
To encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other stakeholders to con-
serve and sustain the western population of monarch butterflies, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2020 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
WOODALL, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. COHEN, Mr. COURT-
NEY, Mr. COX of California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. ESHOO, 
Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, Ms. WILD, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. CORREA, Mr. 
COSTA, and Mr. LUJA´N) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on 
Natural Resources, and Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To encourage and facilitate efforts by States and other stake-
holders to conserve and sustain the western population 
of monarch butterflies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Monarch Action, Re-
covery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2020’’ or the 
‘‘MONARCH Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the population of western monarch butter-
flies is at imminent risk of extinction; 
(2) over the past 3 decades, the population of 
western monarch butterflies has declined by more 
than 99 percent due to prolonged drought, loss of 
milkweed and native pollinator habitat, loss of breed-
ing and overwintering habitat, and climate change; 
(3) in 2019, the population of western monarch 
butterflies maintained a historic low of approxi-
mately 29,000 butterflies, falling below the predicted 
extinction threshold; 
(4) the extinction of the population of migra-
tory western monarch butterflies is now likely to 
occur within the next 2 decades if urgent action is 
not taken; 
(5) actively restoring native milkweed and nec-
tar plants, monarch overwintering habitat, and other 
pollinator habitat, and ensuring that key habitats 
are protected from destruction, are critical to ensur-
ing the survival of western monarch butterflies and 
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arch butterfly population that overwinters along the 
coast of the State of California and breeds across 
the States of California, Arizona, Nevada, Wash-
ington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. 
SEC. 4. WESTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 
funds and in consultation with other Federal officials, the 
Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall use amounts in the Fund to provide 
grants for projects for the conservation of western mon-
arch butterflies for which project proposals are approved 
by the Secretary in accordance with this section. 
(b) PROJECT PROPOSALS.— 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity that is eli-
gible to receive a grant for a project under this sec-
tion is— 
(A) a relevant local or Tribal government 
agency, research institution, or nonprofit orga-
nization with expertise required for the con-
servation of western monarch butterflies; and 
(B) any other entity, as determined appro-
priate by the Secretary, with the expertise re-
quired for the conservation of western monarch 
butterflies. 
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(2) FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.— 
A State or Federal agency— 
(A) may not be a lead entity or receive a 
grant for a project under this section; but 
(B) may be included as a partner or col-
laborator on a project that receives a grant 
under this section. 
(3) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—A proposal for a 
project under this section shall include— 
(A) a statement of the purposes of the 
project; 
(B) the name of the entity with overall re-
sponsibility for the project; 
(C) a description of— 
(i) the qualifications of the entity that 
will conduct the project; 
(ii) methods for project implementa-
tion and outcome assessment; and 
(iii) anticipated outcomes; 
(D) assurances that the project will be im-
plemented in consultation with relevant wildlife 
management authorities, Indian Tribes, and 
other appropriate local government, State gov-
ernment, and Federal Government officials; 
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(E) assurances that the conservation ef-
forts outlined in the proposal do not conflict 
with food safety measures or practices; 
(F) information that demonstrates the 
clear potential of the project to contribute to 
the conservation and recovery of western mon-
arch butterflies; and 
(G) such other information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
(c) PROJECT REVIEW AND APPROVAL.—The Sec-
retary shall annually— 
(1) solicit project proposals for funding under 
this section; and 
(2) review each proposal described in paragraph 
(1) on a timeline that recognizes the urgency of the 
declining number of western monarch butterflies to 
determine whether the proposal meets the criteria 
specified in subsection (d). 
(d) CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL.—The Secretary may 
approve a project proposal under this section if the pro-
posal demonstrates a likelihood that the project will con-
tribute to the conservation of western monarch butterfly 
populations in the wild. 
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(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 
provide technical assistance for a project that receives a 
grant under this section. 
(f) PROJECT REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each entity that receives a 
grant for a project under this section shall submit 
to the Secretary, at such intervals as the Secretary 
may require, reports that include any information 
that the Secretary determines is necessary to evalu-
ate the progress and success of the project for the 
purposes of ensuring positive results, assessing prob-
lems, and fostering improvements. 
(2) AVAILABILITY TO STATE LEGISLATURES.— 
Each entity that receives a grant for a project under 
this section shall submit each report under para-
graph (1) to the State legislature of the State in 
which the project is conducted. 
(3) AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.—The Sec-
retary shall make available to the public, in a timely 
manner— 
(A) each report submitted under para-
graph (1); and 
(B) any other documents relating to 
projects for which a grant is provided under 
this section. 
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SEC. 5. WESTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESCUE FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a fund, to be known as the 
‘‘Western Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund’’. 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the amounts 
available in the Fund for each fiscal year, the Secretary 
may expend not more than 3 percent to pay the adminis-
trative expenses necessary to carry out this Act. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $12,500,000 
for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN MONARCH 
BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION PLAN. 
Of amounts available to the Secretary that are not 
otherwise obligated, the Secretary shall transfer to the Na-
tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation $12,500,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to facilitate the imple-
mentation of the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation 
Plan prepared by the Western Association of Fish and 
Wildlife Agencies and dated January 2019. 
SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 31 of 
each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
describing the status of western monarch butterflies, in-
cluding, with respect to the year for which the report is 
submitted— 
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