Texas Lawmakers Push Camp Safety Reforms After Deadly Hill Country Floods

In the aftermath of the catastrophic July 4th floods that claimed 137 lives, including 27 campers and staff at the historic Camp Mystic, Texas lawmakers are advancing several bills aimed at improving youth camp safety. Though not officially included in Governor Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, nine bills have been introduced to strengthen emergency preparedness at camps. Proposals range from requiring disaster drills and flood-safety equipment to mandating emergency plans be filed with state agencies. 

“My hope is that these common sense reforms would help prevent confusion during floods,” said Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who authored three of the bills.

According to The Texas Tribune, with the special session ending on August 19 and competing priorities, such as disaster funding and emergency response dominating the legislative agenda, the path forward for camp-specific measures remains uncertain. The camp industry itself is divided. Some support added oversight, but others, especially larger, more profitable operations, have historically lobbied against broad regulations. Camp Mystic, for example, had successfully petitioned FEMA to remove several of its buildings from official flood zone maps, easing expansion and potentially lowering insurance costs prior to the tragedy.

Proposed legislation includes requirements for life jackets in every riverside cabin (SB 35, HB 223), mandatory safety drills (SB 49), and public disclosure of camp emergency plans (HB 211). Currently, such plans are only verified, not evaluated, by state health officials, and are not readily available to families. Parents like Keli Rabon, whose sons survived a flood at Camp La Junta, are calling for more transparency. 

“Please address that,” Rabon told lawmakers. “That should be mandatory and published on every camp website.”

However, the youth camp industry’s influence runs deep in Texas. Through C.A.M.P., its statewide association, camps routinely shape regulations and advise the very agency that licenses them. Six of the nine members of the state’s Youth Camp Advisory Committee come from the industry, and while the group has focused on staff training and safety screenings, disaster planning has received little attention in past meeting records. 

“Whatever is coming out, especially from the Legislature or state law, we’re going to gladly take it and run with it,” said Dan Neal, the committee chair, acknowledging increased scrutiny moving forward.

One family knows that fight firsthand. After losing their 6-year-old daughter Cati in a 2018 camp drowning, Kori and John DelaPeña lobbied for legislation mandating stricter water safety protocols. Though their initial bill was narrowed due to industry opposition, it ultimately passed, a victory they hope inspires others. 

“Be persistent, don’t give up,” Kori DelaPeña said to grieving families of the July 4 tragedy. “Try, and do it for the love of your child.”

As lawmakers weigh reform and the camp industry faces mounting pressure, the question remains whether Texas will act decisively to prioritize children’s safety, or allow history to repeat itself.