Property tax: welfare exemption.

The stated goal in Section 2(a)(1) was changed from 'Eliminate financial barriers' to 'Reduce financial barriers that inhibit nonprofit land conservation organizations from preserving California's natural resources,' making the legislative objective less absolute.

Two performance indicators in Section 2(b) were simplified by removing the qualifier 'which are preserved by nonprofit land conservation organizations' from both the assessed value and acreage metrics, broadening what data would be reported.

Performance indicator (b)(4), which tracked the rate of year-over-year growth in total acreage, was deleted entirely, reducing the number of required performance indicators from four to three.

Cross-references in Section 2(c)(1) were updated to reflect the renumbering after the deletion of paragraph (4).

The legislative finding describing the goal of the tax exemption was changed from 'Eliminate financial barriers that inhibit nonprofit land conservation organizations' to 'Reduce financial barriers,' making the stated objective less absolute.

Duplicate section numbers (two SEC. 2 entries and two SEC. 3 entries) were removed, renumbering the mandates reimbursement section as SEC. 3, the no-appropriation section as SEC. 4, and the tax levy effective date section as SEC. 5.

Cross-references in the annual reporting requirement (Section 2(c)(1)) were updated: the acreage summary now references 'paragraph (2) (3)' and the assessed value summary references 'paragraph (1) (2),' likely reflecting a renumbering of performance indicators or a drafting correction.

The amendment date was updated from April 20, 2026 to May 22, 2026, with the prior date retained as standard legislative practice for showing multiple amendments.

The sunset date for the property tax exemption was extended from lien date 2027 (repealed January 1, 2028) to lien date 2032 (repealed January 1, 2033), giving qualifying nonprofit conservation organizations five additional years of tax-exempt status.

A new Section 2 was added applying the requirements of Section 41 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, which mandates that the State Board of Equalization publish an annual report (due each January 1 before 2034) summarizing total acreage preserved and total assessed value of properties qualifying for the exemption.

The new section establishes specific performance indicators the Legislature will use to evaluate the exemption: total number of qualifying properties, total assessed value of qualifying properties, total acreage preserved by nonprofit conservation organizations, and year-over-year growth rate in acreage.

The new section states the Legislature's intent that the tax expenditure reporting requirements apply to this act, and declares the specific goals of the exemption: eliminating financial barriers for nonprofit land conservation organizations and promoting environmental preservation by enabling them to hold land in its natural state without additional tax burdens.