STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2951

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3253

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3253, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect and expand populations of endangered species in the State.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary Corporation as a nonprofit public corporation to protect and expand the populations of endangered species and other wildlife by creating conservation sanctuaries within the State;

(2) Specifies the powers and duties of the Corporation; and

(3) Requires annual reporting by the Corporation.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Employees' Retirement System, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is widely recognized as the endangered species capital of the world and that the establishment of a nonprofit entity to create wildlife sanctuaries will assist the State in wildlife conservation and preservation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary as a nonprofit organization and simplifying the organizational and administrative requirements for the entity;

(2) Deleting provisions requiring that employees of the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary Corporation be entitled to benefits under the Employees' Retirement System; and

(3) Authorizing the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary to operate sanctuaries within an agricultural district.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3253, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3253, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair