Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025
Officially: “Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section would let the Act be cited as the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025 .
2Sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response
This section would amend Section 408 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1), which sets up federal rescue and rehabilitation grants, to add a matching program for sea turtles and to update the related funding rules.
It would add a new paragraph (10) to the grant provisions in subsection (b). As long as money is available through appropriations made specifically for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response, the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service would have to offer separate grant eligibility for sea turtles, covering the same grant purposes already listed in paragraph (2) of this subsection. A sea turtle grant would have to be developed and awarded separately from marine mammal grants, using the equivalent grant criteria, administration authorities, and requirements already set out in paragraph (3), subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4), and paragraphs (5) through (9) of this subsection, but worked out in consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service instead of the Marine Mammal Commission. When deciding sea turtle grants, the agencies would also have to weigh, in addition to the factors already listed in paragraph (4)(B), the rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles.
To apply for a sea turtle grant, an entity would have to submit an application of the kind described in paragraph (5) to the Secretary of Commerce, covering sea turtles. It would also have to be authorized by and in compliance with either an authorization issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(A)) covering sea turtles, or a cooperative agreement entered into under section 6 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1535) covering sea turtles. Whenever the entity uses facilities to house captive sea turtles, it would have to follow the standard conditions for their care and maintenance prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and it would have to meet all relevant data reporting requirements, including those of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
This section would also replace subsection (c) so that it creates two interest-bearing funds in the United States Treasury: the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund, and a new Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund. Money in either fund could be used only by the Secretary to provide emergency assistance.
Finally, this section would update the appropriations authorizations in subsection (d). It would revise existing subparagraph (d)(1)(A) so that its authorization is specifically to carry out marine mammal rescue and response, and it would add a new subparagraph (d)(1)(B) authorizing $5,000,000 for the Secretary of Commerce for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030, to remain available until expended, to run the new sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response grant program created under subsection (b)(10). The former subparagraph (d)(1)(B) would be redesignated as (d)(1)(C) and would also be updated to refer to the new subparagraph (B). This section would also replace subsection (d)(2) so that it authorizes $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030 for the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund, and a separate $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030 for the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund.
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2. Sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response Section 408 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 ( 16 U.S.C. 1421f–1 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following: (10) Sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response (A) In general Subject to the availability of appropriations specific to address sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response, the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall include separate eligibility for grants under this subsection to address the purposes described in paragraph (2) with respect to sea turtles. (B) Conditions of grant A grant awarded under this subsection to address sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response shall— (i) include the equivalent grant criteria and administration authorities and requirements described under paragraph (3), subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4), and paragraphs (5) through (9), developed, as appropriate, and awarded separately for sea turtles and in consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in lieu of the Marine Mammal Commission; and (ii) in addition to the considerations under paragraph (4)(B), also consider rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles. (C) Eligibility criteria In order to apply for a grant awarded under this subsection to address sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response, an entity shall— (i) submit an application described in paragraph (5) to the Secretary of Commerce with respect to sea turtles; (ii) be authorized by and in compliance with— (I) an authorization issued under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(A) ) with respect to sea turtles; or (II) a cooperative agreement entered into under section 6 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1535 ) with respect to sea turtles; (iii) comply with the standard conditions for care and maintenance of captive sea turtles prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior when relevant facilities will be utilized for such purposes; and (iv) comply with all relevant data reporting, requirements, such as the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network data collection requirements. ; (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following: (c) Rescue and rapid response funds (1) In general There is established in the Treasury of the United States— (A) an interest-bearing fund to known as the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund ; and (B) an interest-bearing fund to be known as the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund . (2) Use of funds Amounts in the funds established under paragraph (1) shall be available only for use by the Secretary to provide emergency assistance. ; and (3) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting marine mammal rescue and response after to carry out the ; (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); (iii) by inserting after clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) the following: (B) Authorization of appropriations with respect to sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response There is authorized to be appropriated for the Secretary of Commerce to carry out the sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response grant program under subsection (b)(10), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030, to remain available until expended. ; and (iv) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated by clause (ii), by inserting or (B) after subparagraph (A) ; and (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: (2) Rescue and rapid response funds There is authorized to be appropriated— (A) to the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030; and (B) to the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030. .
Where it is
In the Senate.