To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill creates a federal grant program to help rescue and rehabilitate stranded sea turtles across the United States. It authorizes $5 million per year in grants for sea turtle rescue organizations and establishes a $500,000 annual emergency response fund for rapid assistance during stranding events.
Who Benefits and How
Wildlife conservation organizations, marine research institutions, and Indian Tribes benefit by gaining access to new federal funding for sea turtle rescue operations. Nonprofit members of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network can apply for grants to cover rescue, rehabilitation, transportation, and facility operation costs. Institutions of higher education conducting marine turtle research also become eligible for funding.
Who Bears the Burden and How
There are no significant new burdens imposed by this bill. Federal taxpayers fund the $5.5 million annual authorization. Grant applicants must comply with Endangered Species Act permits and data reporting requirements to the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes $5 million annually (FY2025-2030) for sea turtle rescue grants through the Secretary of Commerce
- Establishes the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund with $500,000 annual authorization
- Extends liability protection to grant-funded workers conducting rescue operations under Federal Tort Claims Act
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a federal grant program and emergency response fund for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response activities by amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Key Policy Areas
Wildlife Conservation, Marine Resources, Grants and Federal Assistance
Primary Purpose
Establishes a federal grant program and emergency response fund for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response activities by amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Policy Domains
Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Wildlife conservation nonprofits
- Marine research institutions
- Indian Tribes
- Institutions of higher education
- Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network members
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal taxpayers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. …
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Entities with ESA cooperative agreements for sea turtle conservation, Grant applicants, Grant-funded rescue workers
Positive-direction: Entities with ESA cooperative agreements for sea turtle conservation, Grant-funded rescue workers, Nonprofit members of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, Organizations with Endangered Species Act permits for sea turtles, Public and private organizations with sea turtle rescue records, Sea turtle rehabilitation facilities
Negative-direction: Grant applicants
Institutions of higher education with marine turtle research programs
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_director"
- → Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Commerce
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Any member of the family Cheloniidae or Dermochelyidae
An event where a marine turtle is dead or alive on a beach/shore of the US or in US waters and in need of medical attention or intervention
Has the meaning given in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)
An accredited educational institution that admits students with high school diplomas and provides bachelor or higher degrees
A geographic region designated by the Secretary for carrying out rescue activities
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology