Senate Bill 1, nicknamed “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act,” aims to prevent tragedies like the one at Camp Mystic from ever happening again.
AUSTIN, Texas — A bill with stricter regulations for youth summer camps could be one step closer to becoming state law after Wednesday.
Senate Bill 1, nicknamed “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act,” aims to prevent tragedies like the one at Camp Mystic on July Fourth from ever happening again.
The house is taking up SB 1, which the families of the Camp Mystic victims testified in support of back in August.
The bill blocks the state from licensing camps with cabins less than 1000 feet from the floodplain.
It also has stricter regulations for the camps than they currently have because it includes contingencies like what happens if there are missing campers, a fire, severe illness, and even aquatic emergencies like drowning.
Those plans must be filed with the state.
The bill also requires camps to prepare to evacuate any time the National Weather Service issues a flood warning.
In addition, evacuation routes would have to be displayed in all camp cabins. If the bill passes, the camps must go over those drill evacuation plans with campers at the beginning of each session.
The bill goes to the house Wednesday for a reading.