The bill aims to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to establish separate grant eligibility for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response programs. It delineates conditions and eligibility criteria for entities seeking grants, establishes funds for emergency assistance, and authorizes appropriations of $5,000,000 annually for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response programs. The bill emphasizes the need for specific funding and attention to sea turtles, alongside marine mammals, and aims to improve the capacity for sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 and expands the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program to include separate grants to rescue sea turtles. The grants must be used for
- the recovery, care, or treatment of sick, injured, or entangled sea turtles;
- responses to rescue stranded sea turtles;
- the collection of data and samples from living or dead stranded sea turtles for scientific research or health assessments;
- facility operating costs that are directly related to activities to assist sea turtles; or
- development of stranding network capacity where facilities do not exist or are sparse.
In addition, the bill establishes the Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund.
