(The Center Square) – After the Texas House passed a relief package on Thursday, including a camp safety bill, the Texas Senate quickly and unanimously voted on the camp safety bill Thursday night. Gov. Greg Abbott applauded both chambers saying he will sign it into law.
The first bill the legislature passed in the second special session prioritizes camp safety regulations in response to the devastating July 4 flash flood event that killed 27 girl campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas.
Their parents testified before the Texas Senate for the first time on Wednesday in support of the bill. They also said their daughters’ deaths were “100% preventable,” arguing the camp didn’t have safety protocols in place, The Center Square reported.
Overall, at least 137 people were killed from the flash flood in several counties. The majority were killed in Kerr County, 108, including 37 children. The remains of two confirmed missing have yet to be found.
After House business was halted during the first special session by absconding House Democrats, all House Democrats voted for the bill on Thursday. It nearly passed unanimously. One Republican holdout voted against it, expressing opposition to amendments added by Democrats and other language, The Center Square reported.
After the bill passed, Speaker Dustin Burrows said, “This summer’s tragic flooding has left profound impact on our state – taking the lives of innocent adults and children, devastating families and entire communities, and breaking the hearts of every Texan. From this tragedy, the Texas Legislature stepped up to examine the systems and processes in need of improvement so we are better prepared for all future emergencies.”
He thanked the lawmakers for coming “together to help ensure we are stronger in the face of disasters.”
Not soon after, the Senate voted on the bill. A Senate committee passed its version of it on Wednesday, Senate Bill 1, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, filed by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock.
“Every child who attends summer camp should come home with nothing more than memories of laughter, friendship, and adventure. This July, Texas was shaken by the catastrophic flooding at Camp Mystic, where 27 young lives were lost. Today, the Texas Senate has taken an important step to ensure that no parent in our state ever has to endure that kind of heartbreak again,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.
“We cannot legislate away every danger in life, but we can insist on vigilance, preparedness, and accountability where children are entrusted to the care of others. This bill gives parents peace of mind and sets clear expectations for camp operators – because the safety of Texas children must always come first,” he added.
He also thanked “the families who turned their grief into action, joining us in the fight to make sure that the lessons learned from Camp Mystic lead to lasting change. Their courage and strength honor the memory of the children we lost. From the beginning, we listened closely to the families of the victims. They gave us a list of priorities that mattered most to them, and SB 1 honors their voices by including every single one.”
SB 1 requires youth camps and campgrounds to maintain real-time weather alert systems, train staff on evacuation routes, and develop emergency preparedness plans. It also requires camps to provide transparency to families about potential risks, ensure every staff member is trained in emergency procedures, and prohibit cabins, used as sleeping quarters, from being located in river floodplains.
It also requires camps to have the ability to notify and communicate with campers and staff during an emergency, and mandates emergency plans be shared with local emergency management coordinators.
Abbott praised the legislature for passing the bill and said he will sign it into law.
He said he and his wife “continue to pray for the families who lost loved ones during the catastrophic Fourth of July floods. Last week, we sat with these families, heard their heartbreak, and saw the unimaginable pain of parents who sent their children to camp but never got to bring them home. No parent should ever endure that kind of loss.
“These families asked for critical camp safety legislation, and the bills passed this week by the House and Senate will ensure that no parent has to fear sending their child to a camp in Texas.”
