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. 
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 Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a grant program, to be known as the ‘‘Sea Turtle Rescue 
Assistance Grant Program’’, to encourage and facilitate 
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(1) the number of stranding events that oc-
curred in each stranding region in the preceding 5 
years; and 
(2) the conservation priorities and recovery 
needs of species of marine turtles that are threat-
ened or endangered 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 Sec-
retary shall, in consultation with the Director of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, establish by 
regulation 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 con-
sultation with the Director of the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for en-
gagement with representatives from stranding re-
gions and representatives of public and private orga-
nizations with an established record in rescue, reha-
bilitation, and release, as well as related scientific re-
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search, marine 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 rescuing, rehabilita-
tion, scientific research, and forensic science with re-
spect to stranded marine turtles or conducting sci-
entific research and forensic science on stranded ma-
rine turtles. 
(g) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—No grant 
awarded under this section may exceed $150,000 in 
any 12-month period. 
(2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The non-Fed-
eral 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 
services and the use of property. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
through 2029 to remain available until expended. Not 
more than 3 percent shall be used for administrative ex-
penses to carry out this Act. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) MARINE TURTLE.—The term ‘‘marine tur-
tle’’ means any member of the family Cheloniidae or 
Dermochelyidae. 
(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance 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; 
(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 navi-
gable waters), and in need of medical at-
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tention or other necessary intervention to 
aid its likelihood of survival. 
(5) STRANDING REGION.—The term ‘‘stranding 
region’’ means a geographic region designated by the 
Secretary under subsection (b). 
Æ 
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