Austin, Texas – On Thursday, the Texas House passed a bill that would ban and criminalize camping in public places statewide.

The vote came five days after a special election took place in Austin, Texas where residents voted to reinstate Proposition B, a citywide ban on camping, starting May 11.

House Bill 1925 passed in an 88-56 vote, and would make it a Class-C Misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 for those that knowingly camp in public places across the state.

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, who drafted the bill, insisted that it wasn't aiming to criminalize the homeless population, and that the matter was strictly a "humanitarian issue" over anything else.

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"Allowing people to live in the street incentivizes them to live unhoused rather than get the support services they need in permanent housing," Capriglione said.

Texas House Democrats disagreed with Capriglione and the House Republicans' defense of the bill.

During a debate prior to the vote, Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins questioned the helpfulness of this bill. "Criminalizing involuntary behavior like sleeping does not make it easier for someone to escape homelessness," she said.

According to the Austin American Statesman, The proposed bill would also allow the state government to take legal action against cities that enabled camping despite the statewide ban.

The bill still needs to pass a final approval vote in the House while a similar bill remains untouched in the Senate.