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Alabama Senate passes 'Sarah Marsh Heavens 27' camp‑safety bill after floor debate
Summary
The Senate approved House Bill 381, requiring residential camps to obtain emergency‑preparedness licenses from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and to meet staffing, training, communication and flood‑safety standards. Sponsors said the measure honors victims of a deadly July 2025 flash flood and aims to prevent similar tragedies.
The Alabama Senate approved House Bill 381 on March 31, 2026, a measure sponsors said was written in response to the flash flood at Camp Mystic, Texas, on July 4, 2025, that killed 27 campers, including an 8‑year‑old, Sarah Marsh.
Sen. Roberts, sponsor of the Senate substitute, said the measure — titled the Sarah Marsh Heavens 27 Camp Safety Act — would require every residential overnight camp in Alabama to obtain an emergency‑preparedness license from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, in addition to existing sanitation permits from the Alabama Department of Public Health. "This bill will require camps with residential facilities for campers to obtain an emergency preparedness license from the Alabama EMA," Roberts said on the floor, describing required elements including staff background checks, weather monitoring, redundant communications, sheltering capacity and written evacuation plans coordinated with local emergency management organizations.
The law sets licensing rules (licenses valid for five years), requires camps to submit emergency plans for approval, mandates annual staff training and youth safety orientations within 24 hours of arrival, and directs the agency to post a public registry of licensed camps so parents can verify a camp's status. It also bars construction of new bunkhouses within a 100‑year floodplain after Jan. 1, 2027, while allowing continued use of some existing cabins that meet heightened safety standards.
Roberts recognized Patrick and Jill Marsh, parents of Sarah Marsh, in the Senate gallery; he said the bill "honors the memory" of their child and aims to give camps and local emergency partners clearer standards. The bill also authorizes the AEMA to examine camps, requires camps to keep drill and training records, and allows the agency to adopt rules implementing the statute.
The Senate adopted a committee substitute and passed the measure by roll call; the bill record shows the substitute and final passage votes were taken on the Senate floor. The legislation becomes part of state law and assigns the Alabama Emergency Management Agency primary implementation responsibility. The law also preserves agencies' discretion to establish rules for licensing, inspections and appeals.
Next steps: With the Senate's passage, the bill proceeds through the legislative process for enrollment and transmission to the governor; the act includes multiple implementation deadlines for licensing and licensing renewals.
Authorities and related references cited on the floor included the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, the Alabama Department of Public Health, and federal flood mapping standards administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
