Following the catastrophic Central Texas flood that killed 139 people—including 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic—over last year’s Fourth of July weekend, the Texas Legislature entered into a special session and passed the “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act,” which went into effect on Sept. 5, 2025 and overhauled summer camp safety in the state.
Emergency action plan
The law requires every licensed youth camp to have a written emergency action plan covering hazards such as:
- Flooding
- Severe weather
- Medical emergencies
- Unauthorized persons on camp property
- Evacuation protocols
Monitoring systems
It also requires camps to install real-time weather monitoring and alert systems to receive immediate warnings about dangerous weather conditions, and implement reliable emergency communication systems that allow them to quickly notify campers and staff during emergencies, including systems that do not rely solely on the internet or cellular service.
Annual staff training
Annual staff training and drills are required on:
- Emergency and weather procedures
- Evacuation routes
- Implementation of the camp’s emergency plan
Camper safety
The law requires camps to disclose safety information to parents or guardians, and that each camper must:
- Be shown the camp’s physical limits and warned about any hazards on-site such as rivers, cliffs, or restricted areas
- Be instructed on how to behave during severe weather, flooding, or other emergency events
- Be taught the exact steps to follow according to the camp’s emergency evacuation plans
Camp boundaries
It prohibits sleeping cabins from being located in dangerous flood-prone areas, and requires camps to update licensing information when they:
- Change camp boundaries
- Build new cabins
- Renovate cabins in ways that affect the occupancy or emergency exits
