Texas Statewide Public Camping Ban, HB1925, Takes Effect September 1, 2021.

Save Austin Now strongly supported the bill which withholds state funds from cities that don’t enforce, or even discourage enforcement, of the new statewide public camping ban.

AUSTIN, TX — Unregulated homeless encampments are unsanitary, unsafe, and inhumane, which is why Save Austin Now fought a two-pronged approach to reversing the disastrous policies thrust on us by Adler, Casar, and the rest of the city council. First, we worked to get Prop B on the ballot, and we won the election. Second, we lobbied for a state law to do the same but with penalties for cities that fail to enforce the camping ban in case the city council and mayor decided to slow-roll enforcement of Prop B.

For those areas of our city still not seeing democracy being respected and Proposition B being fully enforced, most notably Northwest Austin, South Austin, and Riverside residents, but also so many families across the city just wanting to use local parks again and feel safe walking their kids to school, September 1st is a turning point. Texas House Bill 1925, HB1925, becomes law: HB1925 prohibits public homeless encampments statewide and pulls state grant funds from non-compliant cities.

City council will no longer have a choice.

“CHAPTER 364. ENFORCEMENT OF PUBLIC CAMPING BANS

Sec. 364.002. POLICY ON CAMPING BANS. (a) A local entity may not adopt or enforce a policy under which the entity prohibits or discourages the enforcement of any public camping ban.

(b) In compliance with Subsection (a), a local entity may not prohibit or discourage a peace officer or prosecuting attorney who is employed by or otherwise under the direction or control of

the entity from enforcing a public camping ban…

Sec. 364.003. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. (a) The attorney general may bring an action in a district court in Travis County… A local entity may not receive state grant funds, and state grant funds for the local entity shall be denied, for the state fiscal year following the year in which a final judicial determination in an action brought under Section 364.003 is made that the entity has intentionally violated Section 364.002.

(b) The comptroller shall adopt rules to implement this section uniformly among the state agencies from which state grant funds are distributed to a municipality or county.”