Nearly seven weeks after devastating floods swept through Central Texas, state lawmakers have advanced a series of bills aimed at strengthening camp safety and disaster preparedness.
The July 4 flooding of the Guadalupe River killed more than 130 people, including two teenage counselors and 25 young girls at Camp Mystic. Many parents of the victims gathered on August 21 at the Texas Capitol to witness legislators vote on reforms they had called for in the wake of the tragedy.
“Make no mistake, House Bill 1 is fundamentally a bill about failure,” Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, told his colleagues when introducing the measure. “The camp failed these girls. The county failed them. The river authority failed them, and in a larger sense, their government. In some ways, I know I have failed them.”
Lawmakers have since heard testimony about shortcomings in warning systems, communication breakdowns among first responders, and insufficient local preparedness. Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, who chaired the House committee examining disaster issues, said, “The locals can do better. We can do better. Being prepared and being ready to respond to a disaster is what we owe the citizens of Texas.”
On August 21, the Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1, later named the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act in honor of the Mystic victims. The measure prohibits licensing youth camps with cabins located in floodplains and requires evacuation protocols tied to National Weather Service warnings.
According to the Texas Tribune, a companion measure, House Bill 1, passed the House 136-1 and would require youth camps to file emergency plans with the state and disclose floodplain risks to parents.
Camp Mystic and the family of its late director, Dick Eastland, expressed support for the reforms. “We join the families in supporting legislation that will make camps and communities along the Guadalupe River safer, especially the creation of detection and warning systems that would have saved lives on July 4,” their statement read.
Lawmakers are also considering broader emergency management changes. Senate Bill 2 would establish training for justices of the peace in handling mass fatalities and require registration for disaster volunteers.
House Bill 3 proposes a Texas Interoperability Council to improve emergency communication equipment and infrastructure. Senate Bill 3, already cleared for the governor’s signature, mandates outdoor warning sirens in flood-prone areas.
Funding measures are also moving forward. Senate Bill 5 would allocate $240 million from the state’s rainy day fund, with $50 million earmarked for sirens and rain gauges in Central Texas and $28 million for weather forecasting. House Bill 22 would expand broadband funds for emergency communications, while House Bill 254 would broaden eligibility for rural infrastructure disaster recovery grants.
For outdoor hospitality operators—including campgrounds, glamping sites, and RV parks—these developments highlight potential regulatory shifts around emergency preparedness.
Requirements such as floodplain disclosures, evacuation planning, and improved communication systems may eventually extend beyond youth camps, signaling the importance of proactive safety planning. By strengthening resilience measures now, businesses in flood-prone or disaster-sensitive areas can position themselves to meet new standards, reassure guests, and reduce liability risks.