HR4062-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2025 or the MONARCH Act of 2025.

2. Findings Congress finds that— the population of western monarch butterflies is at imminent risk of extinction; over the past 3 decades, the population of western monarch butterflies has declined by more than 99 percent due to prolonged drought, loss of milkweed and native pollinator habitat, loss of breeding and overwintering habitat, and climate change; in 2020, the population of western monarch butterflies reached a new historic low of 1,914 butterflies, falling below the predicted extinction threshold for the third year in a row; in 2024, the population of western monarch butterflies reached the second lowest on record, with less than 10,000 butterflies recorded; the extinction of the population of migratory western monarch butterflies is now likely to occur within the next 2 decades if urgent action is not taken; actively restoring native milkweed and nectar plants, monarch overwintering habitat, and other pollinator habitat, and ensuring that key habitats are protected from destruction, are critical to ensuring the survival of western monarch butterflies and can also help facilitate conservation of other essential pollinators; and enhancing pollinator populations can result in improved pollination services for neighboring land, including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems.

3. Definitions In this Act: The term conservation means the use of each method or procedure necessary to protect habitats of western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies, including— the protection, restoration, and management of overwintering, breeding, and migratory habitats; assistance in the development and implementation of national, regional, State, Tribal, and local conservation and management plans; and community outreach and education. The term Fund means the Western Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund established by section 5(a). The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. The term Tribal government means the governing body of a federally recognized Indian Tribe. The term western monarch butterfly means the monarch butterfly population that overwinters along the coast of the State of California and breeds across the States of California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.

4. Western monarch butterfly conservation grant program Subject to the availability of funds and in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, amounts deposited in the Fund shall be available to the Secretary to provide grants for projects for the conservation of western monarch butterflies, and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies, for which project proposals are approved by the Secretary in accordance with this section. An entity that is eligible to receive a grant for a project under this section is— a relevant local government or Tribal government agency, research institution, or nonprofit organization with expertise required for the conservation of western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies; and any other entity, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, with the expertise required for the conservation of western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies. A State or Federal agency— may not be a lead entity or receive a grant for a project under this section; but may be included as a partner or collaborator on a project that receives a grant under this section. A proposal for a project under this section shall include— a statement of the purposes of the project; the name of the entity with overall responsibility for the project; a description of— the qualifications of the entity that will conduct the project; methods for project implementation and outcome assessment; and anticipated outcomes; assurances that the project will be implemented in consultation with relevant wildlife management authorities, Tribal governments, and other appropriate local government, State government, and Federal Government agencies; assurances that the conservation efforts outlined in the proposal do not conflict with food safety measures or practices; information that demonstrates the clear potential of the project to contribute to the conservation and recovery of western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies; and such other information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall annually— solicit project proposals for funding under this section; and review each proposal described in paragraph (1) on a timeline that recognizes the urgency of the declining number of western monarch butterflies and other pollinators within the range of western monarch butterflies to determine whether the proposal meets the criteria described in subsection (d). The Secretary may approve a project proposal under this section if the proposal demonstrates a likelihood that the project will contribute to the conservation of western monarch butterfly populations in the wild. The Secretary shall provide technical assistance for a project that receives a grant under this section. Each entity that receives a grant for a project under this section shall submit to the Secretary, at such intervals as the Secretary may require, reports that include any information that the Secretary determines is necessary to evaluate the progress and success of the project for the purposes of ensuring positive results, assessing problems, and fostering improvements. At the request of the Governor of the State in which a project is conducted, each entity that receives a grant for a project under this section shall submit each report under paragraph (1) to the State legislature of that State. The Secretary shall make available to the public, in a timely manner— each report submitted under paragraph (1); and any other documents relating to projects for which a grant is provided under this section.

6. Implementation of the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation pursuant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) to facilitate updating and implementing the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan prepared by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and dated January 2019. Section 10(a) of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)) shall not apply with respect to— the agreement entered into under subsection (a); or amounts made available to carry out this section. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

7. Report to Congress Not later than January 31 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the status of western monarch butterflies, including, with respect to the year for which the report is submitted— a summary of the projects for which the Secretary has provided funding under section 4 and an evaluation of those projects; and a summary of the projects for which the Secretary has provided funding through the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan prepared by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and dated January 2019.