On May 11, 2026, Oklahoma took decisive action to make youth camps safer. House Bill 1675, the new Oklahoma camp safety law, was signed by Governor Kevin Stitt, establishing Oklahoma’s first statewide framework for youth camp emergency preparedness.
In the wake of the tragic Camp Mystic floods that claimed the lives of 27 children and camp counselors in Texas’s Hill Country, Oklahoma joins a growing wave of states enacting weather-focused camp safety legislation.
Here’s what Oklahoma’s new HB 1675 severe weather safety law means for camp leaders and how Perry Weather can help.
What Is Oklahoma HB 1675?
Oklahoma HB 1675 is the state’s first enforceable statewide youth camp emergency preparedness law. Authored by Rep. Josh Cantrell and Sen. Ally Seifried, the law codifies six new requirements under Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes targeting severe weather preparedness, flood risk, emergency communications, shelter standards, staff training, and family disclosure.
Starting on November 1, 2026, the law will go into full effect and applies to all camp facilities, youth camps, and outdoor programs operating in Oklahoma. That includes day camps, overnight camps, seasonal camps, specialty camps, wilderness programs, sports camps, and adventure camps serving anyone under 18.
As Rep. Cantrell notes, this legislation is intentionally designed to work with camp operators, “It is not intended to put onerous regulations on camp owners, nor is it focused on any particular camp.”
HB 1675 Requirements
Oklahoma’s new youth camp safety law establishes six mandatory requirements covering severe weather preparedness, flood risk, emergency communications, shelter standards, staff training, and family disclosure all enforced at the county level.
Here is what Oklahoma’s HB 1675 youth camp safety law requires.
📋 Camps Must Conduct a Site-Specific Hazard Assessment
Under Section 683.24E, every camp facility, youth camp, and outdoor program must complete a site-specific hazard assessment on or before January 1, 2027, identifying:
- Applicable severe weather hazards — flooding, flash flooding, high winds, tornadoes, hail, lightning, extreme heat or cold, wildfire, and any other condition designated by the county emergency management director
- Proximity to hazard exposure zones — areas identified through federal, state, or local data as subject to severe weather risk
- Structural vulnerabilities of buildings and shelters on the property
- Feasible evacuation routes and shelter-in-place locations
Assessments must be reviewed and updated at least every three years, and immediately upon any material changes to facilities, terrain, or hazard classifications.
📌 Filing Requirement: Your camp must submit a copy to the county emergency management director by January 1, 2027 and update it every three years thereafter — or immediately upon any material changes to facilities, terrain, or hazard classifications. Camps hosted at a camp facility may use that facility’s assessment.
⚠️ Camps Must Develop a Formal Emergency Action Plan
Under Section 683.24F, every camp must develop and maintain a written Emergency Action Plan (EAP) on or before January 1, 2027.
At minimum, Oklahoma youth camps must address:
- Monitoring and detection of severe weather hazards
- Decision-making authority and chain of command — who calls the evacuation, and when
- Criteria for evacuation versus shelter-in-place
- Evacuation routes and secondary alternatives — because the first route may not always be available
- Shelter standards appropriate to the identified hazards on-site
- Accountability procedures for tracking every camper and staff member
- Post-event communication and reunification procedures for returning campers to their families
The plan must include separate response protocols for each severe weather hazard reasonably applicable to that site. For instance a tornado protocol is not a substitute for a flash flood protocol.
Like hazard assessments, EAPs must be reviewed and updated at least every three years and upon any material changes. A copy must be filed with the county emergency management director.
📌 Not sure where to start? We’ve put together a free Emergency Action Plan template built around Oklahoma’s HB 1675 requirements to help your camp hit the ground running.
Oklahoma Camps: Download Your Free Emergency Action Plan Template
Built around HB 1675 requirements. No email required.
🌩️ Camps Must Maintain Multiple Weather Alert Systems
Under Section 683.24G, every camp facility, youth camp, and outdoor program must maintain:
- At least two independent methods of receiving severe weather alerts — and at least one of those methods cannot rely on cellular service.
- An internal communication system capable of alerting all staff and campers promptly
- Procedures for notifying parents or guardians during emergencies
Oklahoma sits squarely in tornado alley. Flash flooding, straight-line winds, and rapid-onset severe weather are common for camp leaders. A notification that arrives too late or not at all because one system failed is the exact gap this provision is working to close.
Perry Weather’s on-site weather stations, lightning detection, and PA and siren systems can satisfy exactly this requirement.
🏚️ Camps Shelter Standards Are Now Regulated
Under Section 683.24H, where severe weather hazards are identified, camps must provide access to shelters that are:
- Appropriately rated for anticipated wind or impact loads
- Located outside high-risk zones when feasible
- Clearly marked and accessible to all camp populations
Under this provision, the county emergency management director holds authority to restrict or prohibit sleeping facilities in high-risk zones and temporary structures that cannot withstand severe weather. This is Oklahoma’s equivalent of the floodplain cabin restrictions Texas is enacting — though applied locally through the county EM director rather than at the state licensing level.
🧭 Camp Staff Require Training Every Year
Under Section 683.24I, HB 1675 mandates:
- Annual emergency procedure and hazard recognition training for all camp staff
- Periodic drills appropriate to the identified hazards at each specific site
- Camps must maintain training records and make them available for inspection by the county emergency management director.
Emergency plans are most effective when every staff member already knows their role before a severe weather emergency takes place.
📢 Camps Must Have A Written Hazard Disclosure
Under Section 683.24J, camps must disclose in writing to every participant, or to parents and legal guardians if the participant is a minor, before participation begins:
- The existence of material severe weather hazards affecting the site
- The general nature of emergency response procedures
Written acknowledgment of receipt must be obtained before the participant joins.
What Camps Must Do Now to Comply
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Contact your county Emergency Manager | Initiate site visit and begin hazard assessment | Meet January 1, 2027 compliance deadline |
| Complete site-specific hazard assessment | Identify hazards, exposure zones, structural vulnerabilities, and evacuation routes | Compliance with new statute |
| Develop your Emergency Action Plan | Separate protocols per hazard, chain of command, accountability, reunification | Identify potential threats, Required for licensure |
| Deploy redundant weather alert systems | Two independent methods — at least one non-cellular (e.g. on-site station + NOAA radio) | Ensure alerts reach everyone |
| Establish internal communication systems | PA system, sirens, mobile push alerts | Meet real-time alerting requirement |
| Audit shelter access | Rated for wind/impact loads, outside high-risk zones, clearly marked | Ensure campers can reach safe cover, meeting shelter standards |
| Train staff annually | Emergency procedures and hazard recognition before each season | Meets training mandate |
| Run drills with campers and staff | Hazard-appropriate scenarios, documented | Meets training mandate |
| Collect written participant disclosures | Signed acknowledgment of hazards and EAP before participation begins | Required from every participant or their parent/guardian if under 18 |
| Document logs automatically | Timestamp every alert, drill, and weather event | Audit-ready proof of compliance |
How Perry Weather Aids Camp Safety (and Helps Save Lives)
Perry Weather helps camps meet the new Oklahoma camp safety law with real-time weather sensors, NWS-integrated alert delivery, lightning detection, and text-to-speech PA systems directly support camp operators in meeting the mandates laid out across Sections 683.24E through 683.24J of HB 1675.
Perry Weather is already in use across hundreds of campgrounds, parks, and school districts — helping them stay ahead of storms and maintain detailed weather logs.
✅ Sends National Weather Service Alerts Via Siren and Mobile Notification
Perry Weather delivers real-time NWS alerts including tornado warnings, flash flood alerts, and severe thunderstorm warnings. This happens simultaneously to your dashboard, mobile app, siren, and PA system.
You’ll receive notifications the moment a flood warning or tornado warning is issued, giving you the time you need to evacuate and act decisively
✅ Location-Specific, Not Regional Averages
Free apps pull data from distant airports. Perry Weather’s on-site sensors and GPS-based alert zones monitor the exact conditions at your camp’s specific location rather than miles away. When conditions change on your property, you know first.
✅ Automated Emergency Communication
The moment a tornado warning or flash flood alert is issued, Perry Weather can automatically trigger:
- Mobile push notifications to staff
- Text message alerts to counselors and administrators
- Siren and PA activations with pre-set voice instructions
- Dashboard alerts for your emergency coordinator
✅ Built-in Logs for Compliance Documentation
Perry Weather captures and timestamps every alert, system activation, and manually triggered drill and stores them automatically for export. These exportable records support compliance documentation if and when your county emergency management director audits your systems.
| HB 1675 Mandate | Summary | How Perry Weather Can Help |
|---|---|---|
| Site-specific hazard assessment (§683.24E) | Identify hazards, zones, vulnerabilities, routes — filed with county EM | On-site sensor data supports location-specific risk mapping |
| Emergency Action Plans (§683.24F) | Written EAP with separate protocols per hazard — filed with county EM | Perry Weather alert triggers can be built directly into your EAP |
| Redundant alert systems (§683.24G) | Two independent methods; one non-cellular | NWS alerts → dashboard + mobile + PA/siren; PA operates without cellular |
| Annual training and drills (§683.24I) | Staff trained annually; drills conducted; records kept for inspection | Perry Weather’s timestamped alert logs document every real and simulated weather event supporting your broader recordkeeping efforts |
| Written disclosure (§683.24J) | Written hazard and EAP disclosure with signed acknowledgment before participation | Exportable alert and weather history supports transparency documentation |
FAQs on Oklahoma’s HB 1675
Who does HB 1675 apply to?
All camp facilities, youth camps, and outdoor programs operating in Oklahoma — including day camps, overnight camps, seasonal camps, specialty camps, wilderness programs, sports camps, and adventure camps serving anyone under 18. Programs conducted solely on a single-day basis with no oversight component may be subject to modified requirements as determined by rule. Programs operated exclusively by a parent or legal guardian for their own children are exempt.
When does the camp safety law take effect?
HB 1675 takes full effect November 1, 2026. Hazard assessments and Emergency Action Plans must be completed and filed with your county EM director by January 1, 2027.
How often do hazard assessments and EAPs need to be updated?
Hazard assessments and EAPs must be reviewed and updated at least every three years from the date of original filing or immediately upon any material changes to facilities, terrain, or hazard classifications.
What happens if my camp is in a flood zone or near a river?
Under Section 683.24H, your county EM director has authority to prohibit or restrict the use of sleeping facilities in high-risk flood zones. Camps near rivers or in FEMA-designated flood areas should expect additional scrutiny during the hazard assessment process.
What severe weather hazards does HB 1675 cover?
Under Section 683.24C, the law covers flooding, flash flooding, high winds, tornadoes, hail, lightning, extreme heat or cold, wildfire, and any other condition designated by your county EM director. Your EAP must include separate protocols for each hazard applicable to your site.
How will compliance be checked and enforced?
Your county emergency management director oversees compliance and can conduct inspections. Under Section 683.24K, non-compliance can result in corrective action plans, civil penalties, or camp closure.
Were Oklahoma camps required to have emergency plans before this law?
No. Before HB 1675, there was no standardized or enforceable requirement for Oklahoma youth camps to have emergency action plans.
Does HB 1675 affect recreational campgrounds?
Yes, but under a separate provision. Section 10 of HB 1675 amends existing Oklahoma law to require recreational campgrounds to maintain written emergency action plans and file them with their local emergency management director by January 1 of each year.
This is distinct from the new youth camp requirements in Sections 1–9, which carry a one-time January 1, 2027 filing deadline with updates required every three years.
How does Oklahoma’s law compare to Texas’s Heaven’s 27 Act?
Both require EAPs, redundant alert systems, staff training, drills, and family disclosure. Texas restricts floodplain cabin licensing at the state level and requires annual EAP updates. Oklahoma delegates flood zone restrictions to county EM directors and requires updates every three years. For a full breakdown of what Texas requires, read our complete guide to the Texas Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act.
“Camp should be a time for kids to let loose and have fun.‘
“Parents shouldn’t have to sit at home worrying every time they see a severe weather alert,” — Sen. Ally Seifried, Senate Author of HB 1675 “This bill makes sure camps have clear emergency plans in place and staff who know what to do when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Preparing ahead of time and planning for all scenarios will keep campers safe and give parents peace of mind.”
Ready to Protect Your Camp?
Schools, parks, and public agencies across the country put their trust in Perry Weather. Let us help you implement a severe weather plan that meets Oklahoma’s new HB 1675 standards and keeps your campers safe every day, in every condition.
Start protecting your camp today with a free two-week trial of Perry Weather and see firsthand how easy it is to put compliance and safety on autopilot.
Also operating a Texas camp? Read our full guide to the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act (Texas SB1/HB1) — the law that started the national movement.
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Give your camp staff time to act. Not react.
On-site weather sensors, automated NWS alerts, lightning detection, and camp-wide sirens — Perry Weather equips your leaders to make critical safety decisions before severe weather strikes.
