Union Calendar No. 358
118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
[Report No. 118–433]
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes.
April 10, 2023
Mr. Keating introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
April 2, 2024
Additional sponsors: Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Soto, Ms. DelBene, Mrs. González-Colón, Ms. Mace, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Fry, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Mfume, and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina
April 2, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 10, 2023]
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,
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;
(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.—
(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).
Union Calendar No. 358 | |||||
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[Report No. 118–433] | |||||
A BILL | |||||
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program, and for other purposes. | |||||
April 2, 2024 | |||||
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed |