SPONSOR: Murphy
This bill requires a person or organization operating a summer camp in Missouri to establish and retain onsite a site-specific emergency plan addressing certain situations, specified in the bill, and to ensure that the summer camp employees are certified in operating equipment used in any aquatic activity by the summer camp. At least 50% of the camp counselors and any director employed by the camp must be trained in CPR and in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). All camp counselors must be subjected to a criminal background check.
The bill requires all aquatic activities offered by a summer camp and any related equipment to be inspected annually by the relevant state department, including the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Conservation. Local agencies can complete the inspections if the standards employed by the local agencies are substantially similar to state standards. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) must maintain a publicly-available list of all licensed summer camps in the state and any complaints made against any of those summer camps. The camps must maintain records of all inspections of the aquatic activities.
It is unlawful for a person or organization to establish, maintain, or operate a summer camp that has not been licensed under the provisions of this bill, and any person or organization that violates the provisions of the bill will be guilty of a class C misdemeanor for a first offense starting May 1, 2027, and will be assessed a fine of up to $750 will be guilty of a class A misdemeanor and assessed a fine of up to $2,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000, for any subsequent offense.
The bill authorizes DESE to create any necessary rules and regulations for the administration of the provisions of this bill.
This bill is the same as HB 1377 (2025).
Statutes affected: