A bill to prevent tragedies like the Camp Mystic flood would require new safety rules at Texas youth camps. Some say it could shut camps down.
Senate Bill 1 would add new requirements for youth camps operating in flood-prone areas. Some camps warn it could force closuresA bill aimed at honoring the 27 campers and counselors killed in the Central Texas floods, and preventing future tragedies, could be voted on as early as tomorrow.
WATCH HERE In August, lawmakers heard from Camp Mystic parents, including CiCi Williams Steward, whose daughter Cile is still missing following the Fourth of July disaster.“This legislation cannot bring back our daughters, but it is the beginning of change that must occur so that this tragedy never happens again,” she said.“Camps, especially those in areas prone to flash floods, should have adequate warning systems and not build cabins in dangerous flood plains. Period,” he said.Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act seeks to improve campground emergency preparedness by providing for basic campground safety requirements, including the development and implementation of emergency evacuation plans for natural disasters and the installation of emergency rooftop access ladders for cabins in a floodplain. The bill additionally sets out heightened safety provisions specific to youth camps, including a prohibition against issuing or renewing licenses for certain youth camps that operate cabins in a floodplain; requirements for a youth camp operator to develop procedures for additional scenarios in its emergency plan and for communicating with emergency services personnel and other applicable individuals; requirements for receiving and providing emergency alerts; and safety training and orientation requirements for camp staff members and campers, respectively.They say they would face millions of dollars in mandated rebuilding costs. “We ask you to work with us to find a safe and professionally analyzed solution through the Texas Water Development Board for the 100-year floodplain prohibition,” states the letter. “Additionally, if camps are state-mandated to rebuild these structures, we ask that we are allowed to operate during the rebuild process. We believe there must be meaningful financial support, whether through insurance, state grants, or other funding mechanisms, so that the burden does not fall solely on families, camps, and communities.”As the hearing got underway, Camp Longhorn owner John Robertson announced he would now be testifying in support of the legislation. “It is in their honor that we commit ourselves to working together to ensure every child that attends camp is safe,” said Robertson. Camp La Junta owner Scott Fineske described the moment his wife spotted a table floating in the floodwaters and how they jumped into action. “We opened doors and woke the counselors and told them to count heads and head to ‘maintenance road,’” testified Fineske. “That maintenance road is the high spot on our camp, and it’s a spot that’s familiar to everybody, and that’s our meeting spot.” Fineske enlisted the local school district’s help, reaching out to the superintendent, who provided school buses to transport hundreds of boys and staff to safety. Camp La Junta was able to safely evacuate over 400 people despite not receiving warnings as early as 1:14 a.m., said Fineske.“We had one cabin in the floodplain in the 100-year floodplain,” he told lawmakers. “It was on the backside, but it was there, and we had already made the decision that that cabin would be retired. It’s not going to be there.”NBC 5 reached out to the three camps reportedly pushing back on portions of SB 1, but has not yet heard back.
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