On Thursday, the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed both House Bill 1 and House Bill 20, authored by Representative Darby, in response to the 27 young girls who lost their lives at Camp Mystic during the July 4 flooding.
HB 1 will, for the first time, require all resident youth camps to have a Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) approved emergency operations plan for natural disasters, fatalities, unauthorized intruders, and other emergency scenarios; and end the practice of overnight cabins in dangerous flood zones.
“House Bill 1 is part of a two step plan with Senate Bill 1 to create a package of the strongest youth camp safety legislation in the country,” Representative Darby said to the House. “With House Bill 1, there will now be a real emergency operations plan. A plan, not pulled off the internet or thrown together in the heat of the moment, but a vetted plan approved to the highest standards that we can muster as a state.”
House Bill 1 was drafted and redrafted after days of meeting with Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Department of Emergency Management, the Department of State Health Services, and, most importantly, the families of the victims.
“We cannot call these ‘once in a thousand-year’ events, shrug our shoulders, and walk away saying ‘better luck next time.’ I will not accept that. I will not take that for an answer. Nor should you. Not anymore,” Darby concluded. “In this case, having no plan or procedure or training in place is not an “unforeseen outcome” – it’s gambling.”
The Texas House also approved House Bill 20, establishing the nation’s toughest laws against disaster scams. In the wake of recent flooding, scammers posed as relatives or relief volunteers to exploit victims. Under HB 20, such crimes are now first-degree felonies. “HB 20 will create the strongest anti-disaster scam protections in the country,” said Darby.
“I am deeply grateful to Speaker Burrows and to my colleagues in the House for their steadfast commitment in making this initiative a top priority,” Darby stated. “Their leadership and dedication have been instrumental in ensuring that this effort receives the attention and urgency it deserves.”
House Bill 1 and House Bill 20 will sent to the Texas Senate for their consideration in the coming days, while the Texas House will consider Senate Bill 1 by Senator Charles Perry.
Representative Darby serves House District 72, which includes Coke, Coleman, Concho, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Reagan, Runnels, Sterling, and Tom Green counties. Representative Darby chairs the House Committee on Energy Resources and serves on the Administration, State Affairs, and Disaster Preparedness & Flooding committees.
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— From Laramie Stroud, Chief of Staff
