STAND. COM. REP. NO. 336-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1802

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1802, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSERVATION MITIGATION BANKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources and certain public or private entities to operate conservation banks, subject to approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources, for situations where a person or entity is required to provide compensatory mitigation to offset adverse impacts to threatened, endangered, candidate, or proposed species as part of an approved incidental take license and habitat conservation plan;

(2) Add the Associate Director of the United States Geological Survey, Ecosystem Mission Area, to the membership of the Endangered Species Recovery Committee; and

(3) Require the Endangered Species Recovery Committee to review applications and proposals for conservation banks and conduct subsequent reviews and oversight.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Earthjustice; and Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi. Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that conservation banks are large-scale projects designed to increase populations of threatened or endangered species or to enhance their habitats. Conservation banks serve as useful tools for incidental take permit holders with habitat conservation plans that require mitigation to offset the impact on threatened and endangered species. Your Committee further finds that this measure addresses the complex policy issues involved in establishing an entirely new conservation mitigation program and would ensure adequate protection for imperiled species.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1802, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair