Ed Walker, executive director of Mt. Lebanon Camp and Retreat in Cedar Hill, says new Texas legislation could shut down hundreds of youth camps.
The Fiber Requirement
The new Youth CAMPER Act, HB 1, requires camps to provide an internet connection using end-to-end fiber-optic facilities and a secondary, distinct connection. Failure to meet this standard would lead the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to deny or suspend a camp’s license.
Walker’s Alarm
In a letter to Rep. Brian Harrison, Walker cited a preliminary survey by the Camping Association for Mutual Progress (CAMP) that found 173 camps lacked fiber. He noted the survey represented only about a third of those camps, suggesting “that’s going to go probably north of 200 camps that don’t have fiber.”
Walker said DSHS was near the end of its public comment period on the proposed rules and that the new rule could become effective as soon as Dec. 28. He added, “What we had hoped, up until October, is that (DSHS) were just going to delay implementation of (the broadband rules)… Unfortunately, DSHS can’t do that.”
Rep. Harrison’s Concerns
Harrison, who voted against the final version of the bill, called the broadband requirement “madness.” He said camps must have high-speed broadband, a redundant connection, and “one of them has to be fiber.” Harrison had supported the bill’s initial version before a floor substitute added the fiber mandate.
Camp Doublecreek’s Dilemma
Camp Director Dan Neal of Doublecreek in the Austin area said his two campuses would not have fiber by opening day. With about 2,000 annual campers, Neal expressed uncertainty about where the children would go. He praised fiber’s reliability during disasters but urged the government to adopt a realistic timeline and consider a stopgap solution.
Legislative Pushback
The Youth CAMPER Act was authored by Rep. Drew Darby and sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Charles Perry. Darby’s team sent a letter to DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford on Oct. 6 asking for a delay of the fiber requirement to Sept. 1, 2027, citing the difficulty of installing fiber in rural areas. DSHS, however, proposed a rule that could take effect Dec. 28, stating that a state agency’s duty is to implement laws as written.
If the rule takes effect, camps lacking two internet forms-at least one fiber-will be denied a license for the 2026 season. Walker suggested legal action, while Harrison called for a repeal of the act. Harrison warned that “We could’ve stopped this, and tell you what, if we can’t, the governor of Texas needs to get us back to Austin so that we can repeal this horrible legislation.”
Key Takeaways
- The fiber broadband mandate in HB 1 could deny licenses to over 200 camps lacking fiber.
- DSHS’s proposed rule could become effective Dec. 28, leaving camps with little time to comply.
- Camp leaders and lawmakers are pushing for a delay or repeal, citing feasibility and safety concerns.
The debate underscores a clash between legislative intent and the practical realities of installing fiber across Texas’s rural youth camps.
