The Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed HB381 on Tuesday, sending the Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act to the Senate on a 104-0 vote.
The bill, sponsored by State Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook), would create a statewide camp safety and emergency preparedness framework administered by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
“Camp safety regulations are minimal, inconsistently enforced, or outdated,” Faulkner said during floor remarks. “Alabama sends thousands of children to in-state and out-of-state camps every year. Parents reasonably expect that camps operating here or serving Alabama families meet rigorous safety standards.”
Faulkner pointed to the conditions at Camp Mystic as evidence of the need for reform.
“There was no effective emergency communication system. Cell service in the area was unreliable, and counselors were required to surrender their phones,” Faulkner said. “There were no walkie-talkies, no intercoms, and no effective way to communicate evacuation instructions to each cabin in an emergency where minutes matter.”
HB381 is named after Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old Alabama girl killed in the July 4, 2025, flash flooding at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country. The disaster killed 27 campers and counselors when the Guadalupe River flooded the camp. Texas responded with its own package of youth camp safety legislation during a 2025 special session.
Under the bill, residential camps in Alabama would be required to obtain an emergency preparedness license from AEMA as a condition of operating. The state will maintain a public registry of licensed camps. The bill applies only to overnight camps, not day camps.
Requirements include emergency action plans, mandatory safety systems, real-time weather monitoring with NOAA all-hazards weather radio, alert systems that do not depend solely on cell phones or internet, staff training and drills, criminal background checks for staff, and a prohibition on cabins in floodplain areas. Camps would also be required to provide transparency to parents and guardians about safety measures.
“Alabama has great camps, and our camps are doing a lot of these things already,” Faulkner said. “But we need to have a requirement that the camps do these things. And to see that those plans, those evacuation plans, those safety measures, are reviewed by professionals and determined that these plans are good.”
A floor amendment added representation from Scouting America to the board overseeing the program.
Faulkner thanked Governor Kay Ivey, who mentioned camp safety in her State of the State address and issued a press release in support of the bill. He also thanked Speaker Ledbetter and his staff, camp associations and camp owners, and Emily Schultz, whom Faulkner called a close friend of the Marsh family who “worked tirelessly on this bill.”
After the bill passed, Faulkner took a moment of personal privilege to recognize the family of Sarah Marsh, who were present in the gallery.
“Thank you for the trust for bringing this bill to honor your daughter,” Faulkner said.
Tuesday was day 13 of the 2026 state legislative session. There are 17 legislative days remaining.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
