Committee advances bill to let hunters and anglers add donations to Operation Game Thief when buying licenses

The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Oct. 12 advanced Senate Bill 384, which would give Texans buying hunting or fishing licenses the option to add a $1.05, $10 or $20 donation to fund Operation Game Thief.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Flores, said Operation Game Thief "was established in 1981" and is a long‑running, privately funded program that has helped secure arrests and convictions in poaching cases. Flores told committee members the fund is supported by "donations, merchandise sales, sponsorship, and gifts" and that SB 384 would add a donation option to license applications.

The measure drew a question from Senator Bergwell, who pressed for a statutory guardrail to limit the portion of each donation that could be used for administration. "I don't want to see...$20 donations where $17 is going to administrative costs and only $3 is going to the program," Bergwell said, asking whether the bill could cap administrative overhead or require the program to return to the Legislature if administration costs rose.

Assistant Commander Kevin Winters of Texas Parks and Wildlife, introduced as a resource witness, described the licensing system as "an automated licensing system" and said the initial setup would be the primary work. Winters said most ongoing adjustments would be minimal because the donation option would integrate into existing point‑of‑sale and online license vendors. He also said board members are unpaid and that the assistant commander’s enforcement staff time is funded through existing law‑enforcement budgets rather than the donation fund.

Public testimony in support included John Shepherd, identified as Executive Director (signed in in support), and Joey Park with the Parks and Wildlife Association. After public testimony the committee initially left SB 384 pending; later in the meeting Chair moved the bill do pass. The committee recorded six ayes and no nays, and the chair said the bill will go to the floor with a floor amendment.

While supporters described the bill as a simple mechanism to increase voluntary support for an enforcement‑oriented reward fund, committee members asked staff and the sponsor to consider language that would limit administrative charges or require future legislative review should overhead become a substantial portion of donations.

SB 384 will proceed to the full Senate; the chair indicated a floor amendment is expected.