AUSTIN, Texas – UPDATE at 10 p.m. 9/3: At the Texas Capitol, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1. Rep. Wes Virdell tried to make changes to the bill to address concerns, but his amendments did not pass.
ORIGINAL STORY: On Wednesday, the Texas Legislature is focusing on Senate Bill 1, a bipartisan camp safety bill written in response to the July 4 tragedy at Camp Mystic.
Known as the Heaven’s 27 Youth Camp Safety Act, the Senate version of the bill passed with widespread support. Discussion on the House version began at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Capitol.
One piece of the bill mandates that camps move cabins and other buildings out of flood zones. This has been a priority for families who lost girls at Camp Mystic.
Many families testified tearfully in late August before the Texas Senate Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding, pleading with legislators to pass SB1.
“We are the parents of Cile Steward, the only camper from Camp Mystic still missing,” said Cile’s mother, CiCi. “This legislation cannot bring back our daughters, but it is the beginning of change that must occur so this tragedy never happens again.”
Michael McCown, who lost his daughter Linnie at Camp Mystic, said, “The measures in this bill, keeping cabins out of flood plains, requiring real emergency plans, mandating weather radios and alert systems, should already be the baseline for every summer camp.”
“Camps, especially those in areas prone to flash floods, should have adequate warning systems and not build cabins in dangerous flood plains,” said Clark Baker, who lost his daughter, Mary Grace.
Caitlin Bonner, who lost her daughter Lila, said, “Our daughters deserved better, and future campers deserve better. I implore you all to act quickly and pass SB1 to protect campers before next summer.”
Camps across Texas have openly supported the sections about emergency planning, training and alert systems.
However, several in Kerr County have recently spoken out against the mandate to keep buildings like cabins out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 100-year flood plain.
A 100-year flood means there is a 1% chance of a major flood happening every year.
The mandate in SB1 and HB1 recently prompted a letter from three of Kerr County’s oldest youth camps: Camp Waldemar, Camp Stewart and Vista Camps.
The letter was addressed to several leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, stating that many camps may have to close if the bill passes.
Part of the letter said, “Camps across the state contribute more than $4 billion annually to Texas’ economy. Kerr County, as the ‘heart of camping in Texas,’ is one of the largest beneficiaries of this industry. Yet today, that future is at risk.”
The letter added that the legislation “would require us to rebuild cabins, while also not being able to operate and generate income. For Kerr County as a whole, the loss would be catastrophic.”
The letter mentioned support for other parts of the bill: “We want to be clear: safety has always been and will remain our top priority. We support the enhanced provisions for emergency planning and staff training in Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1.”
While many legislators support all pieces of the bill, some are questioning the same issues brought up by the camps.
“I 100% agree with the camps. The camps have shown an extreme willingness to work with the legislature to find ways that are beneficial and make safety a higher priority,” Texas State Representative Wesley Virdell said. “We have to think of all of Texas, and we have (to) make sure that we are not restricting commerce of an industry in a way that’s detrimental to them and still ensuring that kids are safe.”
Virdell plans to put forth suggested amendments to the bill, saying he would vote against it if it remains unchanged.
When asked if his colleagues share his viewpoint, Virdell said, “The sentiment I get right now is every legislator that I can think of that I’ve talked to agrees we’re rushing through this and that this bill most likely has problems.”
He acknowledged the emotion surrounding the bill, including the families who testified in August.
He proposes to go forward with the parts of the bill that address emergency planning, alerts and training, but wait on the cabin location section.
“I think it would show the families that we’re working on safety, but I think we need to hold off on other legislation until we have more conversations to make sure we’ve thoroughly vetted any consequences,” Virdell said.
KSAT reached out to camps Waldemar, Stewart, and Vista for comment, but did not receive any responses.
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