[House Report 117-683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-683
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SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2022
_______
December 30, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 7918]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 7918) to require the Secretary of Commerce to
establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act of
2022''.
SEC. 2. SEA TURTLE RESCUE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a grant program to
be known as the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance 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 Regions.--The Secretary shall designate
geographic regions of the United States as stranding 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 or assessments regarding marine
turtle health, including tagging information; 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 regions, taking into account--
(1) the number of stranding events that occurred in each
stranding 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 regions and
representatives of public and private organizations with an
established record in 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 rescuing, rehabilitation, scientific research, and
forensic science with respect to stranded marine turtles or
conducting scientific research and forensic science on stranded
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) 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 2023 through 2028 to remain available until
expended. Not more than 3 percent shall be used for administrative
expenses to carry out this Act.
(i) 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 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 the 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 region.--The term ``stranding region'' means a
geographic region designated by the Secretary under subsection
(b).
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 7918 is to require the Secretary of
Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant
Program.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
All sea turtles found in U.S. waters are listed as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.\1\
Human activities, which are becoming more common due to climate
change, create several risks to threatened and endangered sea
turtles, from oil spills, entanglements in fishing gear, and
other plastic waste to boat strikes and cold-stun events. Many
of these events disorient sea turtles, resulting in coastal
strandings and starving them.
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\1\Pub. L. No. 97-304 (1982).
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed sea turtle recovery
plans that recognize and emphasize the importance of
maintaining a functioning stranded sea turtle rescue network to
conserve and recover listed sea turtles.\2\ The Sea Turtle
Stranding and Salvage Network (Network) was established to
respond to more frequent stranding events and is composed of
Federal, State, and permitted private partners around the
nation.\3\ Much of their work focuses on documenting the status
of live sea turtles and counts and examination of dead sea
turtles to understand morbidity and mortality drivers and best
inform conservation management and recovery efforts.\4\
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\2\National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sea Turtle
Stranding and Salvage Network (online at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/
national/marine-life-distress/sea-turtle-stranding-and-salvage-
network).
\3\Ibid.
\4\``Morbidity'' refers to illness or disease, ``mortality'' refers
to death, regardless of cause. National Park Service, Review of the Sea
Turtle Science and Recovery Program--Padre Island National Seashore
(May 2021) (online at www.nps.gov/pais/learn/management/upload/pais-
stsr-review-report_20210507_finalamended_508.pdf).
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Federal funding to support this vital work has remained
inadequate, despite the continuation of the Network as an
essential aspect of every sea turtle species' recovery plan.
Over two years, just eight of these network partners cared for
more than 2,000 sea turtles, paying $5 million yearly to care
for rescued sea turtles. Sea turtle stranding response and
rehabilitation efforts are necessary for sea turtle
conservation.
H.R. 7918 would establish a federal grant program, known as
the ``Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program,'' to provide
critical funding to support response and rehabilitation efforts
for federally protected endangered sea turtles. Grants would
fund the recovery, care, and treatment of stranded marine
turtles, stranding data collection for scientific research, and
facility operating costs. The bill also outlines criteria to
ensure that grants are awarded to regions equitably. The bill
stipulates a non-federal matching requirement of no less than
50 percent of the costs of activities conducted with the
assistance. The bill authorizes $5 million annually for fiscal
years 2023 through 2028 and caps administrative costs at no
more than 3 percent of funds.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 7918 was introduced on May 31, 2022, by Representative
Bill Keating (D-MA). The bill was referred solely to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. On July 21, 2022,
the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On December 8,
2022, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill.
The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. Chair
Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held
on July 21, 2022.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) and clause 3(d) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
requested but not received a cost estimate for this bill from
the Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee
adopts as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate
of the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such
cost estimate be made available before House passage of the
bill. The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to require the Secretary of
Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant
Program.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
[all]