[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2560 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2560

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and 
Rehabilitation Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE AND REHABILITATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a grant program, 
to be known as the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance 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 Rehabilitation 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, transportation, 
        and treatment of stranded marine turtles;
            (2) the release of rescued and recovered marine turtles;
            (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 related to 
        activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
    (d) Equitable Distribution of Funds.--The Secretary 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 rehabilitation region in the 
        preceding 5 years; and
            (2) the conservation priorities and recovery needs of 
        species of marine turtles that are threatened 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 Secretary 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 consultation with the Director of the 
        United States Fish and Wildlife Service, provide opportunities 
        for engagement with representatives from stranding and 
        rehabilitation regions and representatives of State governments 
        and public and private organizations with an established record 
        in coordination, rescue, rehabilitation, and release, as well 
        as related scientific research, marine conservation, and 
        forensic science, with respect to stranded marine turtles.
            (3) Required criteria.--The criteria developed 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.
            (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 services 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;
                            (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 
                        likelihood of survival.
            (5) Stranding and rehabilitation region.--The term 
        ``stranding and rehabilitation region'' means a geographic 
        region designated by the Secretary under subsection (b).

            Passed the House of Representatives April 11, 2024.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2560

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue 
           Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes.