RELATING TO CONSERVATION.

Added a third sanctuary type focused on protecting larger species of wildlife, expanding the bill's conservation goals beyond water bodies and native birds.

Changed the entity from a general nonprofit organization to a 'conservation nonprofit public corporation' to clarify its legal status and relationship with the state.

Updated the effective date from July 1, 3000, to July 1, 2050, indicating a potential delay in implementation or a placeholder for future legislation.

Added explicit prohibitions preventing the corporation from issuing stock, paying dividends, or engaging in political campaigns, ensuring it remains a non-profit entity.

Established a detailed Board of Governors with 18 members, including ex-officio state representatives and elected members, to manage the corporation.

Clarified that employees of the corporation are not considered state employees for most legal purposes, though they must still contribute to state employee benefit systems.

The effective date was changed from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 3000, indicating the bill is not yet intended to take effect.

The legislative sponsor was updated from Ainoa Naniole to Steven Lum, and the document version changed from a Committee Draft to a House Draft.

Minor formatting changes were made to the list of permitted agricultural uses, such as adding 'and' to the end of list items.

The specific legal reference to the sanctuary's establishment was simplified by removing the citation to a specific Senate resolution draft number.

The bill now specifically recognizes a nonprofit entity created by Senate Resolution 94 as the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary, replacing the previous language that allowed for a generic nonprofit partner.

The sanctuary's authorized activities were updated to include operating for-profit businesses, providing visitor accommodations, and operating within agricultural districts.

Two seats on the sanctuary's governing board are now reserved for representatives of the State of Hawaii.

State funds received by the sanctuary are exempt from the qualifying standards and conditions found in Chapter 42F of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, though these rules still apply to any third-party contracts the sanctuary enters.

The definition of 'agricultural districts' was expanded to explicitly include the operations of the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary.

New permitted uses were added to agricultural land, including solar energy facilities on lower-productivity soil, wind farms, biofuel processing, and specific types of agricultural tourism and overnight accommodations.