Texas Lawmaker Reverses Course on House Bill That Would Abolish Parks and Wildlife Department
Posted April 7, 2025 by
State Rep. Pat Curry says he received a lot of pushback after filing the bill.
Texas State Rep. Pat Curry has filed a bill to abolish the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Wildlife Comission. (Photo by Dennis W. Donohue)
A Texas state representative announced he will stop pursuit of his own proposed legislation that would have dismantled the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
According to ksat.com, State Rep. Pat Curry (R-Waco), filed House Bill 4938 on March 13,<span> but announced he’d not pursue the bill </span>in a letter posted to his Facebook page on Monday morning.
According to click3houston.com, Curry, who represents Texas House District 56 near Waco, recently filed bill HB 4938, that if passed, would have abolished the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and move their functions to the Texas General Land Office, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Public Safety.
Curry, who says he received major pushback after the bill was first filed, wrote, “House Bill 4938 was filed as a mechanism to shine a light on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and to bring the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioners to the table to discuss proposed regulations on the deer breeding industry in Texas.”
Under the bill, funds normally given to TPWD would have been dispersed to other state agencies which would have taken over the duties formerly assigned to TPWD. According to bill text, TPWD employees would have also become employees of the state agencies assigned to take over the duties formerly assigned to TPWD.
The bill would have enabled the General Land Office to take over duties related to regulating parks, natural areas, wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, historic sites, or other public land. The Department of Agriculture would have taken over duties related to native plants, wildlife, or the conservation or management of native plants and wildlife, including hunting and fishing.
The Department of Public Safety would have taken over duties related to law enforcement, such as game wardens, as well as the enforcement of water safety, and the regulation of boating vessels.
Multiple divisions of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department handle a variety of things from state parks, law enforcement such as game wardens, inland and coastal fisheries, and state wildlife management.
