Sponsors (2)
Introduced March 5, 2025 by Brian Emanuel Schatz · Last progress March 5, 2025
The bill creates a focused, well‑funded federal grant program to support Hawaii native species conservation and improve access for Native Hawaiian organizations and local partners, while concentrating benefits in Hawaii, increasing federal spending and oversight, and imposing matching, reporting, and administrative constraints that may burden small applicants and program administrators.
State and local governments, Native Hawaiian organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and universities gain access to a new, dedicated Hawaii Native Species Conservation and Recovery Grant Program with stable funding ($30M/year authorized for 10 years).
Broad eligibility (states, localities, Native Hawaiian organizations, nonprofits, businesses, universities) plus provisions for full federal funding for some projects increases who can receive support and how much of project costs can be covered.
The program can fully fund qualifying projects (up to 100% for Native Hawaiian organizations and at least 5% of annual funds reserved for fully federally funded projects), improving access for cash‑poor or priority community projects.
The program is limited geographically to Hawaii, so applicants or efforts to conserve the same species elsewhere are ineligible and broader regional conservation needs are not served.
The authorization commits federal spending of $30M/year ($300M over 10 years), increasing taxpayer exposure and federal budget commitments.
Federal funding risks supplanting state or private conservation contributions if supplement‑not‑supplant safeguards are weak, potentially shifting costs onto federal taxpayers rather than increasing total conservation investment.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Hawaii-only grant program for native species conservation, authorizing $30M/year for 10 years with cost-share rules and reporting requirements.
Creates a federal grant program to finance coordinated conservation and recovery projects for species native to Hawaii. It sets who can apply, how projects will be chosen and funded (including cost-share rules and exceptions for Native Hawaiian organizations and small grants), requires annual reporting to Congress on funded projects, and authorizes $30 million per year for ten years with up to 5% for program administration.