The Texas Department of State Health Services reached an agreement Thursday with 19 youth camps that sued over a state requirement to install fiber-optic internet connections, allowing the camps to operate this summer using alternative redundant internet service such as cellular or satellite. The rule was enacted after a July 2025 flash flood killed 28 people at a Hill Country camp, where emergency communications failed because phone lines and cell service were down.
“This agreement will ensure that youth camps in Texas operate with the safety provisions envisioned by the Legislature while allowing camps and families to move forward with their summer plans,” DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford said in a statement.
The deal came after leaders of the Texas Legislature, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, released statements supporting the removal of the fiber requirement. They said in a joint statement that “there may be means other than fiber to provide reliable, redundant internet access, which would satisfy the purpose and spirit of the law.”
Under the agreement, camps must maintain “redundant internet connectivity” through other means — including cellular or satellite technology — and the lawsuit filed by the group of 19 camps will be set aside until March 1, 2027. The camps had argued in their April lawsuit that the fiber mandate did not make their properties safer, violated state property-rights protections, and could prevent them from opening this summer.
The lawsuit, filed in Travis County state district court, offered examples of the financial strain the requirement imposed. Camp Liberty, one of the plaintiffs, received a quote of $1 million in upfront costs plus a $3,500 monthly service fee over five years. Camp Longhorn’s quote exceeded $1.2 million. The suit said providers could not confirm that service would be “end-to-end” — a term the state had not defined — or that fiber was even available in some rural locations.
The fiber-optic rule, along with a mandate for a second type of broadband connection, was passed by lawmakers after the July 4, 2025, flood at Camp Mystic. That disaster killed 25 campers, two counselors, and the camp’s executive director, Dick Eastland. Emergency responders struggled to confirm the scope of the tragedy because the camp had no working phone lines or cell service.
Brian Anderson, executive director of Camp Peniel — one of the camps that sued — called the agreement a victory for families. “This agreement keeps camp doors open for children and families across Texas,” he said. “Camps are places where kids grow, build confidence, and form lifelong friendships, and this outcome makes sure those experiences continue this summer.”
State health officials said the camps that signed the agreement will still be required to meet all other safety and emergency-plan standards. Lawmakers are expected to revisit the camp safety rules during the 90th legislative session in 2027.