SB5

2nd Special Session

Relating to making supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and preparedness and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding those appropriations.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Medium Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Department of State Health Services • Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor

SB5

Moderate

Relating to making supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and preparedness and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding those appr...

Moderate Compliance Urgency

Requires near-term attention

Cost Impact

Medium

Effective

2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Department of State Health ServicesTrusteed Programs within the Off...

Primary Author: Sen. Joan Huffman

89th Texas Legislature

jdkey.com

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (or immediately upon 2/3 legislative vote).
Compliance Deadline:
Grant Applicants: Immediate monitoring of Office of the Governor announcements.
Camp Operators: New fees will likely apply to the Summer 2026 licensing renewal cycle.
Agency Rulemaking:
DSHS (Critical): The Department of State Health Services must publish proposed rules to adjust fee schedules to recover the ~$5.08 million appropriation. Expect proposals in Q4 2025.
Office of the Governor: Will define application windows and technical criteria for flood/weather grants in Q4 2025.

Immediate Action Plan

Camp Owners: Conduct an internal "mock audit" of your facility immediately to identify vulnerabilities before the new DSHS inspectors are onboarded.
Camp Owners: Add a line item to your 2026 budget for increased regulatory fees (estimate 15-20% increase pending rulemaking).
GovTech Vendors: Register immediately in the Office of the Governor’s eGrants system and prepare boilerplate proposals for flood telemetry and weather modeling.
Legal Counsel: Monitor the *Texas Register* for DSHS fee proposals in late 2025 to submit public comments regarding the fee structure.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Camp Operators: Review and amend camper registration agreements and facility rental contracts for the 2026 season. You must ensure pricing structures are adjustable or sufficiently padded to absorb the mandatory state license fee increase.
Grant Vendors: Procurement contracts for flood sirens and weather modeling must align with the General Appropriations Act. Ensure your contracts allow for strict delivery timelines, as funding is tied to the 2026-2027 biennium.

Hiring/Training

Camp Operators: The funding of 16.0 new Full-Time Employees (FTEs) for DSHS signals a shift from administrative oversight to on-site enforcement. Operational staff must be retrained immediately on safety protocols, as the frequency and depth of physical inspections will increase significantly.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Grant Recipients: Entities receiving flood or weather mitigation funds must maintain segregated accounting records. Commingling these funds with general operating revenue creates a high audit risk under state reporting standards.
Camp Operators: Audit your safety documentation (background checks, medical logs, water safety certifications) now. With new inspectors funded, "informal" compliance will result in citations.

Fees & Costs

Camp/Campground License Fees: DSHS is legally required to increase fees to recover the $5.08 million cost of the new inspection program. Operators must revise FY 2026 budgets to account for this hike.
Grant Funding: $50 million is available for flood warning systems in specific counties; $28 million is available for atmospheric modeling.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Fee Allocation Formula: The law mandates the *total* recovery amount ($5M+) but leaves the *per-license* cost to DSHS discretion. It is currently unclear if this will be a flat fee increase or a tiered increase based on camp capacity/revenue. We must intervene during the rulemaking comment period to advocate for an equitable structure.
"Enhanced Atmospheric Measurement": The technical specifications for the $28M weather modeling grants are undefined. The Office of the Governor has broad discretion to define which technologies qualify.
Legislative Contingency: Section 4 (Camp Safety/Fees) is contingent upon the enactment of S.B. 1 (89th Leg, 2nd Called Session). If S.B. 1 fails, the fee hike and new inspectors are void.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsDisaster Preparedness & Relief State Agencies, Boards & Commissions State Finances State Finances--appropriations Water Water--development Water--general Governor Floods Safety Radio Texas Interoperability Council

Official Analysis

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House Sponsors

Rep. Greg BonnenRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Cosponsors (89)

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB5

What does Texas SB5 do?

SB5 mandates a compulsory license fee increase for all youth camps and private campgrounds to fund a stricter inspection regime, including the hiring of 16 new state inspectors. While primarily an appropriations bill releasing over $300 million for disaster relief and flood mitigation grants, the operational impact falls heavily on the camping industry, which must prepare for higher costs and aggressive regulatory enforcement starting in FY 2026. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (or immediately upon 2/3 legislative vote).

Who authored SB5?

SB5 was authored by Texas Senator Joan Huffman during the 2nd Special Session.

When was SB5 signed into law?

SB5 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on September 18, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB5?

SB5 is enforced by Department of State Health Services and Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor.

How urgent is compliance with SB5?

The compliance urgency for SB5 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB5?

The cost impact of SB5 is estimated as "medium". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB5 address?

SB5 addresses topics including disaster preparedness & relief, state agencies, boards & commissions, state finances, state finances--appropriations and water.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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