Bill > HB254

This bill adds two new sections to the Texas Health and Safety Code to establish emergency response and safety standards for youth camps, requiring the executive commissioner to create rules that mandate specific safety protocols. These new standards include prohibiting overnight accommodations within 1,000 feet of bodies of water or in structures less than 50 feet above ground in flood-prone areas, mandating comprehensive staff and camper training on evacuation procedures, requiring independent severe weather warning systems, ensuring nighttime security with a qualified adult always awake during sleeping hours, and providing proper life-preserving equipment. Additionally, the bill requires youth camp operators to develop and publicly share a detailed emergency safety and evacuation plan that outlines procedures for severe weather events like floods or fires, designates a specific individual responsible for emergency coordination, and requires operators to provide a copy of the plan to parents or guardians during camper enrollment. The bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote in the Texas legislature, or otherwise 91 days after the legislative session ends, and directs the executive commissioner to adopt these new rules as soon as practicable after the Act's effective date.

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=891&Bill=HB254