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5mo ago

Abbott Signs Texas Camp Safety Laws Banning Cabins in Floodplains and Funding Sirens

The laws respond to July's Hill Country floods with implementation slated before next summer.

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A murky Guadalupe River lurks next to Camp Mystic cabins post July 4th flood. Camper belongings such as blankets and footlockers are spread out across the grass on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
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A view inside of a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site of where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. Rescuers were on Saturday searching for more than 20 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 27 people -- with more rain on the way. "So far, we've evacuated over 850 uninjured people, eight injured people and have recovered 27 deceased fatalities at this time. Of these 27, 18 are adults, nine are children," said Kerr Country Sheriff Larry Leitha on July 5. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Heaven’s 27 Act, which bars the state from licensing youth camps with cabins in FEMA-designated floodplains and restricts sites within 1,000 feet of floodways, with limited exceptions.
  • The Youth Camper Act requires state-approved emergency plans, annual staff training, camper orientations, posted and illuminated evacuation routes, National Weather Service monitoring with weather radios, and parental acknowledgment of flood risks.
  • Lawmakers approved roughly $278–$280 million for flood preparedness, including $200 million to match federal disaster aid, $50 million for local warning sirens administered by the Texas Water Development Board, and $28 million to improve weather forecasting.
  • Families of the 27 Camp Mystic victims attended the signing after leading the push for reforms, and Abbott said the measures will save lives when camps reopen next summer.
  • Camp operators have warned that relocating or rebuilding cabins could impose severe costs and are seeking financial help, while a separate emergency responder coordination bill did not pass and could be revisited.