HB 1027 Summary

• Establishes a marine life conservation district special fund administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to collect and manage revenues for protecting, restoring, and enhancing marine life conservation districts statewide.

• Authorizes the department to collect user fees and permit fees from marine life conservation districts, except for Hanauma Bay, with all revenues deposited into the special fund (except Hanauma Bay revenues which must benefit only that district).

• Directs fund revenues toward monitoring, research, enforcement, education, public fishing area management, compensatory mitigation for environmental impacts, and marine conservation research projects statewide.

• Requires 20 percent of all fees collected under subsection (b)(1) to be paid to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as ceded lands revenues.

• Sunsets the special fund on June 30, 2026, with any unencumbered balances reverting to the general fund; effective date is January 1, 2050.