South Carolina General Assembly
105th Session, 1983-1984

Bill 2870


                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2870
Ratification Number:       212
Act Number                 126
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Operation Game Thief Program
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A126, R212, H2870)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 27 TO CHAPTER 11 OF TITLE 50 SO AS TO PROVIDE AN OPERATION GAME THIEF PROGRAM.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Operation Game Thief Program

SECTION 1. Chapter 11 of Title 50 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 27

Section 50-11-4110. There is created an Operation Game Thief Program to be funded by:

(1) Monies authorized from the county game fund of the State Treasury not to exceed thirty thousand dollars annually.

(2) Money received from donations to the fund, which must be used for general program purposes. The donor may not specify the purposes for which the donation must be used.

(3) Monies appropriated by the General Assembly for the purposes provided in this article.

Section 50-11-4120. Funds from the Operation Game Thief Program may be expended only for the following purposes:

(1) The financing of reward payments to persons other than law enforcement officers, department personnel, and members of their immediate families responsible for information leading to the arrest of any persons for unlawfully taking, wounding or killing, possessing, transporting, or selling wildlife and attendant acts of vandalism. The Law Enforcement and Boating Advisory Board of the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department and the director of the Law Enforcement and Boating Division shall establish the schedule of rewards to be paid for information received and payment must be made from funds available for this purpose.

(2) The financing of a statewide telephone reporting system under the name of 'operation game thief' established under the direction of the director of the Law Enforcement and Boating Division.

(3) The promotion of public recognition and awareness of the Operation Game Thief Program.

Section 50-11-4130. The Operation Game Thief Program funds must be expended in conformity with the laws of the State, except that any monies appropriated by the General Assembly or received from donations must be used before monies from any county game fund are used. Balances remaining at the end of the fiscal year are exempt from the provisions of law relating to lapsing of appropriations."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.