# 119-s-843: Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025

119-s-843, Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA); status passed_senate (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-843
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-843
- Congress: 119
- Title: Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025
- Status: passed_senate
- Introduced: 2025-03-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Policy area: Animals
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Creates a dedicated sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and rapid response grant program and rescue fund under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.** It sets eligibility rules, reporting requirements, and coordination between the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to speed rescue and rehab of stranded sea turtles. - Rescue organizations and rehabilitation centers can apply for grants for sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and rapid response. Applicants must hold Endangered Species Act authorizations or cooperative agreements, follow care standards for captive turtles, and meet Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network reporting rules. - The Secretary of Commerce will run the grant program in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rather than the Marine Mammal Commission. The program must prioritize rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles and follow the MMPA grant criteria. - The law creates two dedicated rescue funds including a Sea Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Rapid Response Fund and authorizes $5.0 million per year for sea turtle grants plus $500,000 per year to each fund for fiscal years 2025–2030. *Authorizes about $6.0 million per year for 2025–2030 (about $36.0 million total), increasing federal outlays by that amount.*

## Cosponsors (7)

- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] (R-SC), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA] (R-PA), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Emergency funds for sea turtle rescues: benefit, low. The bill would set up two interest-bearing Treasury funds for emergency rescue and rapid response. One fund would be for marine mammals, and one would be for sea turtles. Each fund would be authorized to receive $500,000 per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2030. The Secretary would use this mone…
- Grants for sea turtle rescue groups: benefit, low. If enacted, the government would create a new grant program for sea turtle rescue and rehab. The Secretary of Commerce, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, would award the grants. It would authorize $5 million each year from 2025 through 2030, and the money would stay available until spent. Ap…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.
- 119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States Senator for the State of Idaho.

## Sources
- [119-s-843 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/843)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-723)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-843 (as of 2026-09-10).