Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2023

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).

The Secretary shall designate geographic regions of the United States as stranding and rehabilitation regions for the purposes of carrying out this section.

The purposes of the Program are to provide for—

(1) the recovery, short- or long-term care, transportation, and treatment of stranded marine turtles;

(2) the release of rescued and recovered marine turtles;

(3) the collection of data and samples from stranded marine turtles for scientific research related to marine turtle health; and

(4) facility operation costs that are directly related to activities described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).

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.).

An applicant for a grant under this section shall submit an application in such form and manner as the Secretary shall prescribe.

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.

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.

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.

No grant awarded under this section may exceed $150,000 in any 12-month period.

The non-Federal share of the costs of an activity conducted with a grant awarded under the Program shall be not less than 50 percent of such costs, including in-kind services and the use of property.

In this section:

The term marine turtle means any member of the family Cheloniidae or Dermochelyidae.

The term Program means the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Grant Program established under subsection (a).

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce.

The term stranding means an event in which—

(A) a marine turtle is dead and is—

(i) on a beach or shore of the United States; or

(ii) in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States (including any navigable waters); or

(B) a marine turtle is alive and is—

(i) on a beach or shore of the United States and unable to return to the water;

(ii) on a beach or shore of the United States and in need of medical attention; or

(iii) in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States (including any navigable waters), and in need of medical attention or other necessary intervention to aid its likelihood of survival.

The term stranding and rehabilitation region means a geographic region designated by the Secretary under subsection (b).