State Rep. David Faulkner files Ivey-backed ‘Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Act’ to protect kids in wake of Texas flood tragedy

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February 4, 2026

(Kaitlyn Ross/Facebook, Office of Governor Ivey, YHN)

What began as heartbreak is now becoming a mission to protect Alabama’s children.

On Wednesday, State Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) filed HB381, entitled the “Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act,” named after the 8-year-old Mountain Brook girl who was tragically killed last summer in the Texas floods.

Governor Ivey is backing the new legislation with her full support.

Last July, 27 people lost their lives to a life-threatening flash flood at Camp Mystic — an all-girls Christian camp in Texas — including Sarah Marsh. There were a multitude of issues that arose when the National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 1:14am, everything from inadequate safety measures, antiquated flood warning systems and the camp grounds being in a high-risk area.

After the grief that ensued the tragedy, Faulkner says he began taking action to ensure Alabama is doing everything it can to protect children while away at camp.

“The Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act is instrumental to keep children safe at overnight camps in Alabama,” State Rep. David Faulkner said Wednesday.

“This Act is named for 8-year-old Sarah Marsh and all the other young girls who tragically lost their lives in a flood in Texas this year while at an overnight camp. This bill places common sense safety requirements on the overnight camps in Alabama to help keep children safe. We have great camps in Alabama that do a great job keeping our children safe and we want to make sure that great track record continues.”

Faulkner’s bill would require any dedicated camp site in the state of Alabama to obtain an emergency preparedness license from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency in order to operate.

The bill states these include requirements for hiring staff members, effective means of communication between staff members and campers in the event of an emergency, flood safety, sheltering and emergency and evacuation plans, and to include coordination with the local emergency management organization.

“Keeping children safe must always come first, and parents should have confidence that their children are protected when they are away from home,” Governor Ivey said on Wednesday.

“After the heartbreaking loss of Sarah Marsh, a young Alabamian away at a summer camp in Texas, I believe we have a responsibility to act. I encourage passage of this legislation that ensures our camps are prepared, informed and equipped to respond to emergencies.”

In possibly one of the most important sections of the bill, it clearly states no camp is allowed to operate a cabin located in a floodplain, a piece of low-lying land next to a river. Texas’ Camp Mystic was located directly next to the Guadalupe River, one of the reasons that day ended in unimaginable tragedy.

During her state of the state address last month, Governor Ivey announced she is launching a statewide flood notification system as a result of the horrific flooding in Texas. The system goes hand in hand with Faulkner’s bill to establish safety standards at Alabama summer camps.

Some of the mandatory implementations of HB381 include requiring camps to have

A NOAA Weather Radio that transmits “all-hazards” notifications.
Protocol to alert staff members of an emergency that doesn’t rely on a cellphone.
A notification system that does not rely on an Internet connection and is capable of providing an alarm audible indoors and outdoors to staff members and campers.
Designated sheltering spaces to afford capacity for the maximum number of campers and staff members who are overnight residents.

The bill states the agency will not approve an emergency preparedness license for a camp unless the camp maintains an emergency plan — applicable in emergencies such as a lost camper, a fire on the campground or a natural disaster — that provides safety of campers and complies with the requirements.

As soon as any Alabama camp starts their session, counselors will go over the emergency plan no more than 24 hours after camp begins.

Marsh’s family — along with a few other Texas families — will attend a committee hearing at the State House and vote next week.

According to the Governor’s office, the legislation will move forward after months and months of work from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, private overnight camps, legislative leadership and many others.

The bill would take effect in January 2027. Wednesday is day ten of the 2026 state legislative session.

Evy Gallagher is the assistant editor of Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].