According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), the fiscal implications of HB 19 are indeterminate because the number of campground entities subject to the bill and the cost to process their required flood disaster plans are unknown. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) would be responsible for receiving and reviewing these annual submissions, but without data on how many campgrounds would need to comply, TDEM cannot estimate processing expenses.

The bill authorizes the Attorney General to seek civil penalties, up to $1,000 per violation per day, for failure to meet the plan requirements, and to recover reasonable litigation expenses. While these provisions could generate additional revenue, the Comptroller notes that the frequency and size of such penalties are unpredictable. As a result, any positive revenue impact is expected not to be significant.

For local governments, the fiscal implications are also unclear. Some municipalities or counties may own campgrounds that would need to produce and update flood disaster plans, but the number of such facilities and the costs to develop the required plans are not currently known.

HB 19 is presented as a direct policy response to the deadly July 4, 2025, Guadalupe River flooding, which tragically claimed more than 100 lives, including campers and staff at Camp Mystic. In that event, the facility’s emergency plan had technically passed inspection just two days before the disaster, but was clearly insufficient for the flood risk. HB 19’s author and supporters argue that this shows the need for uniform, enforceable standards for flood preparedness at Texas campgrounds. The bill requires every campground, public or private, that hosts transient guests to create a written flood disaster plan, update it annually, and submit it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) for review. Once approved, the plan must be posted, distributed to employees and campers, and shared with local emergency services. Noncompliance can result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation per day, enforced by the Attorney General.

From a public safety standpoint, the bill is narrowly focused on a single, well-documented hazard in Texas. Its provisions aim to ensure that no campground operates without a clear, actionable plan for protecting people during a flood. It limits TDEM’s authority to reject plans only when they clearly pose a danger or fail to meet basic safety standards, and it requires the agency to consider financial hardship before recommending costly revisions. The timeline, rules adopted by March 1, 2026, and first submissions due May 1, 2026, gives businesses over a year to prepare. Supporters will argue that HB 19 sets a consistent, life-saving baseline that can help avert large-scale tragedies in the future.

From a limited-government and regulatory perspective, HB 19 does expand both the scope of state government and the regulatory obligations of private businesses. It creates a permanent oversight role for TDEM, imposes an annual compliance and reporting requirement on all campground operators regardless of their actual flood risk, and authorizes the Attorney General to pursue civil penalties. Many campgrounds, especially small, family-run businesses, already have strong incentives to prepare for floods due to liability exposure, insurance requirements, and customer expectations. For these operators, HB 19 represents an added layer of bureaucracy and a one-size-fits-all approach that does not distinguish between high- and low-risk properties. Critics can also argue that it sets a precedent for hazard-specific mandates in other industries whenever a high-profile incident occurs.

The fiscal impact is officially “indeterminate” because the number of affected campgrounds and TDEM’s exact processing costs are unknown. The Legislative Budget Board expects any penalty revenue to be insignificant, but TDEM could require additional taxpayer-funded resources if the volume of plan submissions is large. Local governments that own campgrounds would face the same compliance costs as private operators. While the state burden is likely modest, the ongoing cost and administrative time for individual businesses could be more substantial, especially for small operators.

Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote NO on HB 19 to prevent government growth, avoid new permanent mandates on small businesses, and rely on market and liability mechanisms to drive safety practices.

• House Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness & Flooding: 6Y/1N (2 Absent)