We all remember the tragic flooding that struck central Texas this summer, which took the lives of 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic summer camp. The young girls and counselors were fast asleep in their cabins when the waters of the Guadalupe River rose from about three feet to almost 30 feet in just 45 minutes. In the face of this unspeakable loss, I felt compelled to take steps to ensure the safety of campers across the Commonwealth.

For that reason, I plan to introduce a bill that will require sleepaway camps with property at risk of flooding to create and submit evacuation plans to their county’s emergency management agency. Additionally, these evacuation plans will need to be publicly available and posted at their camp sites.

It is my hope that with these common sense measures, we can keep campers and staff safe. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.