FBCO Joins Effort to Pause Camp Rules

First Baptist Church of Olney’s associational camp, Camp Chaparral, was among dozens of camps that petitioned state lawmakers to roll back new state safety rules that could financially sink rural camps, such as the popular Iowa Park camp attended each summer by dozens of Olney children.

The new regulations requiring all Texas camps to have broadband fiber backup emergency alert systems were paused for this summer after rural camps and campgoers filed a lawsuit complaining that the rules made it impossible for some rural locations to comply.

“Attending Camp Chaparral has become a popular summer tradition for many local children, some of whom don’t otherwise get to go on a vacation, said FBCO Pastor Chad Edgington. Just a few weeks before the start of camping season, Camp Chaparral alerted FBCO and other congregations that a bottleneck in the state’s camp licensing threatens that tradition, as well as the facility’s existence.

Only a handful of the state’s 300plus summer camps have received certification under the new rules, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services website.

“We go to this camp every year and take about 30-40 campers,” Dr. Edgington said in an email statement. “We all love our camp and can’t imagine not going each year, but the reality is that we can’t afford to lose a summer of revenue, we will probably have to close the doors if that happens.”

The regulations stem from legislation passed after catastrophic flooding killed 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, and more than 100 people across the region on the July 4, 2025 holiday weekend. The county did not have an emergency alert system in place to alert campers when the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in minutes due to heavy rains.

In response, lawmakers required licensed youth camps to maintain redundant broadband internet service, one of which must utilize “end-to-end fiber optic facilities” to improve emergency communications during disasters.

But rural camp operators argued the requirement ignored the reality that many remote areas of Texas still lack fiber infrastructure.

In a statement released May 2, officials at Camp Chaparral said camps across rural Texas are facing “a technical compliance barrier unrelated to actual safety practices.”

“The challenge is that many camps across rural Texas simply do not have access to broadband or fiber infrastructure,” Camp Chaparral Executive Director Thomas Truitt wrote. “In those locations, this requirement cannot be met because the infrastructure does not yet exist.”

The camp’s statement noted that many rural camps already rely on satellite internet, cellular systems and backup communication tools commonly used by schools, churches, ranches and first responders.

Dr. Edgington said the cost of bringing fiber service to camps in re- mote areas would be prohibitive even if providers were willing to build the infrastructure.

“The cost of getting fiber to the camp is astronomical,” he said, adding that even new construction might still fail to meet the state’s technical certification requirements of upload and download speeds.

As concerns mounted, nearly 20 Texas camps joined together seeking legal relief from the mandate.

Last week, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced it had reached an agreement with the lawyers representing the 20 youth camp operators that temporarily eases enforcement of the fiber requirement for the 2026 camping season.

Under the agreement, camps that maintain redundant internet service — including cellular, microwave or satellite broadband systems — will not face license denial or revocation during the 2026 season as long as they meet other safety standards.

“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 agreement pauses litigation between the state and camp operators until March 1, 2027.

Camp Chaparral officials said they are still preparing for a full summer season while continuing to push for what they called “a practical and reasonable solution” that recognizes the realities of rural Texas.