I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4350 
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 
JUNE 23, 2023 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. BONAMICI, 
Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. CARSON, Mr. PETERS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. THOMPSON 
of California, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. PINGREE, and Ms. NORTON) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions 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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Monarch Action, Re-
covery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘MONARCH Act of 2023’’. 
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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 2020, the population of western monarch 
butterflies reached a new historic low of 1,914 but-
terflies, falling below the predicted extinction thresh-
old for the third year in a row; 
(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 
can also help facilitate conservation of other essen-
tial pollinators; and 
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(6) enhancing pollinator populations can result 
in improved pollination services for neighboring land, 
including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’ 
means the use of each method or procedure nec-
essary to protect habitats of western monarch but-
terflies and other pollinators within the range of 
western monarch butterflies, including— 
(A) the protection, restoration, and man-
agement of overwintering, breeding, and migra-
tory habitats; 
(B) assistance in the development and im-
plementation of national, regional, State, Trib-
al, and local conservation and management 
plans; and 
(C) community outreach and education. 
(2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the West-
ern Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund established by 
section 5(a). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
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(4) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ means the governing body of a feder-
ally recognized Indian Tribe. 
(5) WESTERN
MONARCH
BUTTERFLY.—The 
term ‘‘western monarch butterfly’’ means the mon-
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 relevant Federal 
agencies, amounts deposited in the Fund shall be available 
to the Secretary to provide grants for projects for the con-
servation of western monarch butterflies and other polli-
nators within the range of western monarch 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 government or Tribal 
government agency, research institution, or 
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nonprofit organization with expertise required 
for the conservation of western monarch butter-
flies and other pollinators within the range 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 and other pollinators within the 
range of western monarch butterflies. 
(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; 
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(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 agencies; 
(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 other pollinators within the 
range of western monarch 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 and 
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other pollinators within the range of western mon-
arch 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. 
(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.— 
At the request of the Governor of the State in which 
a project is conducted, each entity that receives a 
grant for a project under this section shall submit 
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each report under paragraph (1) to the State legisla-
ture of that State. 
(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. 
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 for deposit into the Fund 
$12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, 
to remain available until expended. 
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SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN MONARCH 
BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into an 
agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Founda-
tion pursuant to the National Fish and Wildlife Founda-
tion Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) to facili-
tate updating and implementing the Western Monarch 
Butterfly Conservation Plan prepared by the Western As-
sociation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and dated January 
2019. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 10(a) of the National 
Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 
U.S.C. 3709(a)) shall not apply with respect to— 
(1) the agreement entered into under subsection 
(a); or 
(2) amounts made available to carry out this 
section. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
through 2027. 
SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than January 31 of each year, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report describing the 
status of western monarch butterflies, including, with re-
spect to the year for which the report is submitted— 
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(1) a summary of the projects for which the 
Secretary has provided funding under section 4 and 
an evaluation of those projects; and 
(2) a summary of the projects for which the 
Secretary has provided funding through the Western 
Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan prepared by 
the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agen-
cies and dated January 2019. 
Æ 
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