Texas leaders back youth camp licensing workaround for 2026

8 articles · Updated · WOAI · May 5

Dan Patrick and Dustin Burrows said camps could still qualify by filing emergency plans, meeting other safety rules and maintaining reliable emergency communications, even without fiber-optic internet.
The move offers temporary relief as about 170 camps may lack fiber access and roughly 32 have already exited licensing or cut activities to avoid youth-camp rules.
The broadband mandate was adopted after deadly 2025 flooding, but rural camps say installation could cost millions; lawsuits are pending and lawmakers expect to revisit the issue in 2027.

With Texas pausing its fiber-optic rule, can satellite tech and radios truly keep 100,000 campers safe?

After a deadly flood, why is a Texas camp safety law now threatening to close dozens of camps?