The bill amends the Local Government Code to establish stricter regulations regarding public camping bans. It prohibits local entities from adopting policies that discourage the enforcement of public camping bans, including the investigation of violations. New sections are added to require local entities to develop a complaint process for violations of public camping bans and to report the number of complaints and their dispositions to the attorney general annually. Additionally, if a local entity fails to act on complaints within 90 days, the attorney general can declare it a "violating local entity," which may result in financial penalties, including withholding tax revenue.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the Penal Code to ensure that personal property of individuals arrested for camping-related offenses is preserved, with specific provisions for nonhazardous personal property. It also introduces new tax code sections that prevent the distribution of tax revenues to municipalities or counties that fail to act on public camping ban complaints. The bill mandates that local entities implement the required complaint processes by December 1, 2025, and that the attorney general establish reporting rules by January 1, 2026. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Local Government Code 364.002, Penal Code 48.05 (Local Government Code 364, Penal Code 48)