Texas committee hears testimony on youth-camp safety bill, leaves House Bill 265 pending

Texas House lawmakers on the Committee on Public Health left House Bill 265 pending after hours of testimony about safety at youth camps and whether state oversight is adequate.

Representative Carrie Hall, author of HB 265, told the Committee the bill “is focused on youth camp safety reform” and said it would restructure the youth camp advisory committee, require additional staff first-aid and CPR training, move background-check requirements from rules into statute, and remove a statutory waiver for certain camps. She said the bill would also allow the Department of State Health Services to issue violations during inspections and remove a statutory cap on fines so “repeat grievous violations can be penalized.”

Why it matters: Supporters said the current advisory committee is dominated by camp operators, leaving safety recommendations vulnerable to conflicts of interest. They argued the bill would speed a comprehensive review of camp rules before the next camp season and add water-safety and child-safety expertise to the panel. Opponents and some members of the committee pressed for clarity on definitions, enforcement, and how the bill would interact with disaster- and evacuation-focused legislation already under consideration.

Most important facts - HB 265 would restructure the youth camp advisory committee currently statutorily composed of seven camp operators and two public members; the bill proposes a broader membership that includes emergency-management, law enforcement and child-safety professionals, a pediatrician (or NP/PA), a child-psychologist and parents or guardians of campers. Representative Hall said floor changes would add another camp operator and a water-safety expert. (Rep. Carrie Hall) - The bill moves some matters from rule to statute: it would codify background-check…