I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2971 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a youth biodiversity 
monitoring grant program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 21, 2025 
Ms. ANSARI (for herself, Mr. HUFFMAN, and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a youth 
biodiversity monitoring grant program. 
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 ‘‘Youth Outdoors Using 
Nature’s Genetics Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘YOUNG Act of 
2025’’. 
SEC. 2. YOUTH BIODIVERSITY MONITORING GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordination 
with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, including the 
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Director of the United States Geological Survey and the 
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
shall establish a grant program to award amounts and 
provide technical assistance to covered entities to carry out 
youth biodiversity monitoring projects that use and edu-
cate students about advanced technologies. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 
this section, a covered entity shall submit to the Secretary 
an application in such form, at such time, and containing 
such information as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(c) USE OF AMOUNTS.—A covered entity that is 
awarded a grant under this section may use such grant 
to carry out the following activities as part of a youth bio-
diversity monitoring project: 
(1) The purchase of supplies. 
(2) Transportation of participants to and from 
a youth biodiveristy monitoring project. 
(3) Outreach with respect to a youth biodiver-
sity monitoring project to promote participation in 
such project. 
(4) The purchase of scientific collection licenses 
and permits. 
(5) Other expenses related to carrying out a 
youth biodiversity monitoring project the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
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(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from 
covered entities that include a proposal for a youth bio-
diversity monitoring project focused on an underserved 
community. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to Congress a report regarding the grant program, 
including the following information: 
(1) Each eligible entity awarded a grant under 
this section. 
(2) The amount awarded to each such eligible 
entity. 
(3) How each such eligible entity used such 
grant. 
(4) The number of participants in youth bio-
diversity monitoring projects carried out using 
grants awarded under this section. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2032. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGIES.—The term 
‘‘advanced technologies’’ means— 
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(A) environmental DNA collection and 
analysis procedures; 
(B) remote sensing; 
(C) drones; 
(D) camera traps; 
(E) acoustic monitoring; 
(F) advanced sensors and sensor networks; 
(G) AI, machine learning, or advanced 
modeling; or 
(H) any other technology or method the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means— 
(A) a nonprofit organization; 
(B) an elementary school or secondary 
school (as those terms are defined in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); 
(C) an institution of higher education (as 
that term is defined in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); or 
(D) a State, local, or Tribal government. 
(3) GRANT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘grant pro-
gram’’ means the grant program established pursu-
ant to subsection (a). 
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(4) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an organization that 
is— 
(A) described in section 501(c)(3)?of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 
(B) exempt from taxation under section 
501(a) of that Code. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At-
mosphere. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 
(A) each of the several States; 
(B) the District of Columbia; 
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
(D) American Samoa; 
(E) Guam; 
(F) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; 
(G) the Virgin Islands of the United 
States; and 
(H) any other territory or possession of the 
United States. 
(7) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ means the recognized governing body 
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of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, 
pueblo, village, community, component band, or com-
ponent reservation individually identified (including 
parenthetically) in the list published pursuant to sec-
tion 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe 
List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 
(8) UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘underserved community’’ means a population of in-
dividuals sharing a particular characteristic, or a ge-
ographic community, that has been systematically 
denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of 
economic, social, or civic life, such as— 
(A) racial and ethnic minorities; 
(B) individuals with access and functional 
needs; or 
(C) individuals otherwise adversely affected 
by persistent poverty or inequality. 
(9) 
YOUTH
BIODIVERSITY
MONITORING 
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘youth biodiversity monitoring 
project’’ means a project that provides youth with— 
(A) hands-on experience collecting, ana-
lyzing, or interpreting biological data about 
wildlife populations and the ecosystems associ-
ated with such populations; and 
(B) education regarding— 
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