Texas lawmakers are sprinting into action this week with six new flood-safety bills in response to the devastating July 4 Hill Country flash floods that killed at least 135 people across Central Texas.
At the heart of the legislative push is House Bill 1, mandating residential youth camps implement rigorous emergency plans - from evacuation routes and shelter protocols to communications strategies - with penalties for noncompliance.
Lawmakers also ban cabins in 100-year floodplains, require sirens and weather radios near high-risk areas, and earmark $368 million from the rainy day fund to deploy flood warning systems and improve coordination between first responders.
A parallel bill would create an interoperability council to finally crack open the long-standing communications nightmare plaguing emergency crews across jurisdictions.
This legislative wave comes straight from the emotional fire of Camp Mystic tragedy - where campers and counselors drowned amid delayed alerts and inaction - and where parents delivered gut-wrenching testimony urging lawmakers not to let another child fall through the cracks.
With the special session closing fast, lawmakers are racing against the calendar to turn grief into real, tangible protection for future generations.
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