New Texas Law HB1/SB1: What the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act Means for Your Camp

In the wake of the tragic Camp Mystic floods that claimed the lives of 27 children and camp counselors, Texas lawmakers have unanimously passed Senate Bill 1 (SB1), collectively known as the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, to strengthen safety and preparedness at youth camps statewide.

This sweeping legislation introduces major new safety mandates for all licensed youth camps across Texas, closing long-standing gaps in severe weather preparedness, floodplain risk mitigation, and emergency communications.

For camp directors and operators, these new rules represent a significant shift in responsibility, requiring a more robust and technologically sound approach to address critical gaps in Texas camp safety regulations.

Here’s what the new legislation means for camp leaders—and how Perry Weather can help.

What Is the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act?: What the New Law Requires

Passed unanimously by the Texas Legislature in a special session, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act (SB1) amends the Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 141 and creates Chapter 762, establishing emergency preparedness standards for youth camps and campgrounds alike.

Authored by Sen. Charles Perry, the new law establishes standards to protect the lives of Texas children. It’s the first major legislative effort to address gaps in Texas’ camp safety rules, with a focus on severe weather preparedness, emergency communication, and flood risk reduction.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Charles Perry, the bill’s sponsor, called the act “a promise that what happened at Camp Mystic never happens again.”

The bill requires youth camps and campgrounds to maintain real-time weather alert systems, train staff on evacuation routes, and develop emergency preparedness plans. Effective immediately, the law includes non-negotiable mandates for camp owners and directors:

📋 Camps Must File a Natural Disaster Emergency Plan

Under Section 141.0091, youth camps must develop a comprehensive emergency plan that addresses:

• Emergency plans for natural disasters, such as floods and severe thunderstorms, must be submitted to state and local authorities before the camp season begins.
• The plan must include evacuation protocols, shelter-in-place procedures, camper tracking methods, and communication strategies. The law also mandates that camps train staff annually on this emergency response plan and hold evacuation drills for campers at the beginning of each session.

📌 Submission Requirement: Camps must submit their plan to the Texas Department of State Health Services annually, and update it whenever changes are made. If the plan is found deficient, camps have 45 days to revise and resubmit.

🛑 Camps in Floodplains Will No Longer Be Licensed

Under Section 141.0052, the Department of State Health Services “shall not issue or renew a youth camp license for a youth camp that operates one or more cabins located within a floodplain.”

Floodplain Distinction

Sec. 141.0052.  PROHIBITED LICENSURE OF YOUTH CAMPS WITHIN FLOODPLAIN; EXCEPTION.
(a) The department shall not issue or renew a youth camp license for a youth camp that operates one or more cabins located within a floodplain.
(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the department may issue or renew a license to a youth camp described by Subsection (a) only if:
(1)  each cabin location within a floodplain is a result of the cabin’s proximity to a lake, pond, or other still body of water that:
(A)  is not connected to a stream, river, or other watercourse; or (B)  is dammed; or
(2)  each cabin is at least 1,000 feet from a floodway.

• New restriction: Camps with cabins in river floodplains will not be granted or renewed licenses to operate.
• What It Means: Camps must reassess all facilities to ensure housing and gathering spaces are outside of known flood zones.

✅ EXCEPTION: Camps can operate cabins in a floodplain only if:

1. The cabin is near a still body of water like a pond or dammed lake, not connected to a river or stream.
2. OR the cabin is at least 1,000 feet from a floodway.

⚠️ Camps Must Act Immediately on Weather Alerts

Section 762.002 requires camps to evacuate or shelter in place the moment a flash flood, flood, or tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service.

• If a flood warning is issued, camps are legally required to evacuate all campers to higher ground. Camps must act preemptively on official National Weather Service alerts, not personal judgment.
• This applies regardless of current visible weather conditions—real-time alerts and early action are now the standard.

Camps must now notify parents in writing if any part of the property lies within a floodplain and collect signed acknowledgment forms confirming the disclosure

🧭 Mandatory Weather Communication Tools

Under Section 141.0091(c), youth camps are now required to maintain reliable, redundant systems for receiving and sharing weather alerts. Camps must:

• Keep an operable radio capable of broadcasting real-time National Weather Service alerts (or similar professional sources).
• Install and maintain an emergency warning system that can alert all campers—this must include a public address system that works without the internet.
• Continuously monitor safety alerts from the NWS, local river authorities, and other official emergency channels.
• Provide two internet connections—a primary fiber-optic service and a secondary broadband backup—to ensure alerts and communication systems remain online during severe weather.

Perry Weather’s weather station, lightning alerting, and audible siren/PA systems directly support these mandates.

Mandatory Training and Drills

Section 141.0091(k–l) requires that:

• All staff must be trained annually in emergency response and weather procedures.
• Camps must run evacuation drills at the start of each session to ensure campers know what to do if a warning is issued.

Track Campers During Emergencies

• The act mandates that camps have a system in place to track the location and status of all campers during an emergency evacuation.

Camper Training Requirements

Safety doesn’t stop with staff—it extends to campers too. The law now requires youth camps to actively train and inform every camper so they know what to do when emergencies arise. As per Section 141.0091, camps must now create a formal emergency plan covering:

• Define boundaries and hazards: Each camper must be shown the camp’s physical limits and warned about any hazards on-site (such as rivers, cliffs, or restricted areas).
  
• Set expectations in emergencies: Campers must be instructed on how to behave during severe weather, flooding, or other emergency events.
  
• Train for real response: Every camper must be taught the exact steps to follow according to the camp’s emergency plan, ensuring consistency between staff and campers when action is needed.
  

By putting this training in place, camps create a culture of preparedness—where everyone, not just staff, knows how to respond quickly and safely.

How Perry Weather Aids Camp Safety (and Helps Save Lives)

Perry Weather’s real-time weather sensors, lightning detection, audible alerts, and text-to-speech PA systems directly support camp operators in meeting the new safety mandates laid out in the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act — including compliance with Sections 141.0091 and 141.0092.

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.

✅ Real-Time Flood Alerts, Not Just Forecasts

Perry Weather’s system delivers instant alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS), including flash flood warnings, river advisories, and severe weather bulletins.

You’ll be notified the moment a flood warning is issued—giving you the time you need to evacuate and act decisively.

✅ Location-Specific Weather Intelligence

While free apps and forecasts rely on data from distant airports, Perry Weather uses on-site sensors and GPS-based alert zones that reflect the exact conditions at your camp—not miles away.

✅ Automated Emergency Communication

Send real-time alerts to your staff via mobile push notifications, text messages, sirens, strobes, and your PA system. No more shouting across fields or chasing down counselors in the dark.

Perry Weather can trigger warnings and pre-set instructions the moment a flood alert is issued.

✅ Built-in Evacuation Logs and Documentation

If you ever need to prove that your camp acted in accordance with HB1/SB1, Perry Weather gives you a timestamped, exportable record—a critical tool in audits or investigations.

Texas Camps in Flood Zones: What to Do Now

If you operate a camp in or near a floodplain, this law changes everything. Here’s your immediate checklist:

• Identify if your cabins or activity areas are in a designated floodplain.
• Create and file your disaster emergency plan before your next session.
• Equip every cabin with a NOAA weather radio.
• Ensure your camp has two reliable internet connections for alerts and communication.
• Conduct evacuation drills and train your staff on emergency procedures.
• Set up a system that can automate alerts and communication in real time.

FAQs on the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act

“We Will Never Let This Happen Again”

That was the promise made by the families of the victims at Camp Mystic. The Heaven’s 27 Act is their legacy. For camp directors, this isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s a moral one.

With Perry Weather, you can ensure you’re not just meeting the letter of the law but exceeding it—protecting your campers, your staff, and your community from the next storm.

Ready to Build a Safer Camp?

Perry Weather is trusted by schools, parks, and public agencies across the country. Let us help you implement a severe weather plan that meets Texas’s new 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.