As the second special session of the Texas Legislature enters its final days, lawmakers are under mounting pressure to advance flood safety measures in response to the deadly Hill Country floods over the Fourth of July holiday.
Families, advocates, and legislators say the proposed bills are critical to preventing future tragedies.
This week at the Capitol, legislators could take up two of the remaining major proposals tied to the disaster.
Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 5, both centered on disaster preparedness and flood response, have already cleared most procedural hurdles and are currently in a conference committee.
Members from both chambers are negotiating differences in the legislation.
“They should have looked at where the campgrounds were in the 100-year flood plain and prevented that before it even happened,” Jane Vaughn, a supporter of the bills, said, as reported by KXXV on September 2.
The floods, which swept through the Hill Country in July, claimed multiple lives.
“Simply put, to keep this from happening again, because that was absolutely detrimental and my heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones and the one young lady who still has not been found yet. This is absolutely heartbreaking,” Vaughn said.
With just over a week left in the special session, lawmakers face a narrowing window to finalize and pass the bills. Parents who lost children in the floods have joined advocates at the Capitol to emphasize the urgency of legislative action.
“It’s really quite sad that this has to be a law that comes into play, but this is one of those things where time is of the essence,” Vaughn said.
Not all proposals have been met with support. House and Senate Bill 1, another flood-related measure, has sparked opposition from camp operators along the Guadalupe River.
The bill would mandate that cabins in floodplains be relocated, a step owners argue could force them to close due to the high costs involved.