The Texas Senate has approved a bill aimed at improving safety standards for youth camps in response to the deaths of twenty-five campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic during severe flooding on July 4th. Families and friends of the victims attended the session as lawmakers discussed the need for stronger regulations.
Senator Charles Perry of Lubbock, who leads the Senate’s Flooding and Disaster Response Committee, addressed those present: “We have a responsibility to be the watchmen.” The committee had previously heard testimony from families affected by the tragedy. Davin Hunt, whose nine-year-old daughter Janie died in the flood, told lawmakers, “It is abundantly clear to me, and should be to everyone around, that Camp Mystic was completely unprepared for the flooding that cost my daughter her life.”
Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston criticized Camp Mystic’s handling of the situation. “I believe this was a horrifically bad response by Camp Mystic,” he said. “What we heard yesterday in testimony was appalling.” He noted his concern about policies that did not require evacuation during floods: “We can never have another camp make this mistake again.”
The legislation passed Thursday—SB 1—was authored by Perry and co-authored by all members of the Senate. It mandates immediate evacuation to higher ground when a flash flood warning is issued for any area containing a summer camp. Perry explained, “I have taken all the subjective conversations, all the politics out of making a decision to move to higher ground. You have no other decision to make but to go get the kids and take them to higher ground.” The bill also prohibits sleeping in cabins located within 100-year flood plains.
Other provisions include requiring every summer camp to file a multi-hazard emergency response plan with the Department of State Health Services. All camp employees must complete annual emergency training; campers will receive instruction and participate in evacuation drills at each session’s start. Camps are required to maintain weather alert radios and public address systems capable of notifying staff and guests when dangerous conditions arise.
Earlier this week, three additional measures were passed by the Senate addressing broader flood response issues across Texas. These included changes designed to improve local emergency management procedures, installation of warning sirens in areas prone to flooding, and allocation of nearly $300 million in state funds for these reforms as well as relief efforts for Texans impacted by recent historic floods.
The new law is titled “The Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act” after those who lost their lives at Camp Mystic. Following its passage, senators honored each victim individually from the chamber floor. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick expressed appreciation for families’ participation: “The one thing besides courage that you’ve shown, you’ve been so gracious to us,” Patrick said. “In a way you’ve inspired us to do our best, and we’re all better for that.”
