The Texas House of Representatives on Thursday passed a series of bills aimed at strengthening the state’s disaster preparedness and emergency response systems, marking the most comprehensive legislative response yet to the devastating July 4 flooding that claimed the lives of more than 130 people across the Hill Country.
The disaster, which struck with little warning after heavy rains swelled the Guadalupe River and its tributaries, has left lasting scars on communities such as Kerrville and Hunt, where the rising waters swept through summer camps, neighborhoods, and low-lying areas. Among the dead were 27 children from Camp Mystic, a tragedy that has galvanized lawmakers and focused public attention on camp safety, floodplain management, and emergency coordination in Texas.
A Legislative Reckoning
“Members, make no mistake,” said state Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo) in opening debate on his flood relief package. “House Bill 1 is fundamentally a bill about failure.”
Darby, who has emerged as one of the House’s most visible champions for reform following the disaster, said the legislation seeks to address glaring shortcomings exposed by the flooding. His measure, House Bill 1, will now require all licensed camps in Texas to submit detailed annual emergency plans that specifically account for natural disasters, lost campers, serious accidents, and other crisis scenarios.
The bill also mandates staff training and preparedness instruction while authorizing the state to impose civil penalties on camps that fail to comply.
“The camp failed these girls,” Darby said on the House floor, his voice heavy with emotion. “The county failed them. The river authority failed them. And in a larger sense, their government failed them. And in some ways, I know I have failed them. I take this personally.”
Several amendments strengthened HB 1, including provisions barring cabins from being built in floodplains and restricting new licenses for camps that do not provide “safe ingress” for vehicles in the event of an emergency evacuation.
“This bill is for Heaven’s 27,” Darby concluded, invoking the memory of the 27 children who perished when the waters overtook Camp Mystic’s cabins and facilities. His words drew visible emotion from families seated in the House gallery, many of whom had testified in committee hearings over the past month.
A Broader Flood Response
Darby’s HB 1 was just the first of several bills passed Thursday. The House also advanced Senate Bill 2, which establishes a clear chain of command during disasters and creates a rapid response team tasked with ensuring faster coordination between local, state, and federal agencies.
House Bill 3, meanwhile, creates the Texas Interoperability Council, a new body charged with developing and overseeing statewide emergency communications systems. Lawmakers said the measure was designed to address communication breakdowns that plagued responders during the July 4 disaster, when overloaded networks and fragmented systems hindered evacuation warnings and slowed rescue operations.
Senate Bill 5, another measure approved, directs state funds toward sirens, weather-monitoring systems, and disaster grants that can be used to draw down matching federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Lawmakers said the bill was crafted to give rural counties and small municipalities greater access to technology that can provide critical minutes of warning before flash flooding.
Darby also laid out House Bill 20, dubbed the “disaster scam response act.” The bill aims to protect Texans from fraudsters who seek to exploit natural disasters by creating a fraud hotline and requiring more transparency from nonprofits soliciting funds after catastrophes.
And in recognition of the role that modern infrastructure plays in emergency response, state Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood) presented House Bill 22, which will expand grants and loans for emergency communications systems, including broadband infrastructure. Bonnen argued that ensuring connectivity across rural and suburban Texas is essential for coordinating responses to future disasters.
Debate on Government’s Role
The bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but not without some dissent. State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) was among the few to voice strong reservations.
“Government solutions are often worse than the problems they claim to solve,” Harrison argued during debate, expressing concern about overreach and bureaucratic inefficiency.
Harrison ultimately voted in favor of HB 20 and SB 5 but opposed others, saying Texans should be wary of entrusting government with too much control over disaster response.
His remarks drew immediate pushback, including from state Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen), who criticized Harrison’s comments on social media as insensitive, noting that grieving families sat just feet away from the House floor as lawmakers debated the bills.
“I’m sad for your constituents and for those good and decent people you continue to dupe and deceive,” Leach wrote, calling Harrison’s stance “a new low.”
A Tragedy That Reshaped Policy
Thursday’s votes come less than seven weeks after floodwaters tore through Central Texas, leaving a trail of devastation that is still being assessed. The death toll remains one of the highest from a natural disaster in Texas history.
Kerrville, the community hardest hit, continues to grapple with the loss. Residents have held vigils, erected makeshift memorials, and organized support networks for families. The Camp Mystic tragedy has taken on symbolic weight across the state, with the phrase “Heaven’s 27” becoming a rallying cry for reform.
“The scale of this disaster has forced us to look in the mirror as a state,” House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) said in a statement after the votes. “From this tragedy, the Texas Legislature stepped up to examine the systems and processes in need of improvement so we are better prepared for all future emergencies.”
What Comes Next
The passage of the bills marks the first major wave of legislative action in response to the disaster. Both chambers of the Legislature have prioritized disaster preparedness during the ongoing special session, with additional proposals expected in the coming weeks.
Governor Greg Abbott has signaled strong support for the measures, saying he intends to sign flood relief and disaster preparedness bills quickly once they reach his desk. Abbott has also called for a broader review of Texas’ flood mitigation strategies, including reservoir management, river authority accountability, and the state’s early-warning systems.
For the families of the victims, however, the work remains as much about remembrance as reform. Many parents who lost children at Camp Mystic have pledged to stay engaged in the legislative process to ensure long-term accountability and safety.
In Kerrville, rebuilding continues. Businesses along the Guadalupe are slowly reopening, and residents are clearing debris, repairing homes, and confronting the emotional toll of what has been described as a “once-in-a-century” flood. But in conversations across the community, there is a sense that July 4, 2025, will remain a defining moment for a generation.
“This is about making sure no other family has to experience what these families have endured,” Darby said as the House concluded its work. “It is about turning loss into action, and tragedy into change.”
0 Comments