119th Congress (2025-2026)

S 843

Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025

Passed Origin Chamber

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

Senate

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill creates and expands grant programs to support the rescue, rehabilitation, and response efforts for sea turtles. It reauthorizes the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program to include specific grants for sea turtle-related activities, such as rescuing stranded turtles, conducting research, and maintaining facilities. Additionally, the bill establishes two new funds – the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund and the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund – to provide emergency assistance for these efforts.

Key provisions

Creates separate grants within the Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response.
Establishes the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund to provide emergency assistance.
Authorizes appropriations of $5,000,000 per year from 2025 to 2030 for the sea turtle rescue grant program.
Requires grant recipients to have the necessary authorization (e.g., Endangered Species Act permits) and comply with relevant data reporting requirements.
Designates the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund.
Allocates $500,000 annually from 2025 to 2030 to each of the two new funds.
Specifies that grant funds must be used for recovery, care, treatment, or research related to sea turtles.
Requires grant applications to consider rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles.

Who is affected

Marine biologists and conservationists

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

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Legislative history

2025-03-04Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2025-03-04

Introduced in Senate

2025-03-12Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

2025-07-16Senate

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 118.

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

3/22/2026SenateUnanimous consent
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S1503-1504; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1504)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
3/22/2026Unanimous consent
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

3/22/2026SenateUnanimous consent
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S1503-1504; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1504)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
3/22/2026Unanimous consent
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

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Mar 4, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

S. 843

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025

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 grantA 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.

S 843

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Cosponsors

Positions across the country

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Bill text

Notable changes

Fiscal impact

Positions across the country

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Cosponsors

Related bills

Positions across the country

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Bill text

Notable changes

Fiscal impact

Positions across the country

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call