The bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to include grants for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and response. Eligible entities must comply with specified criteria and data reporting requirements. It establishes a dedicated fund for sea turtle rescue and response, in addition to the existing marine mammal fund. The bill also sets a sunset provision for the grant authority, terminating it seven years after enactment. Lastly, it updates the Act to include "marine mammal rescue and response" in a relevant subsection.
Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025
This bill expands the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program to include separate grants to rescue sea turtles for the next seven years. 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.
