Texas Law Protects Campers With Life Jackets and Rafts

Texas is making youth camps safer for all our young people. A new law requires youth camps to protect campers from flooding by providing life jackets and life rafts in every cabin where kids sleep overnight. Here's what the law requires: each youth camp must give a life jacket to every camper in their cabin. Camps must also have life rafts with enough space for all the campers in each cabin. These safety items help protect kids if water floods the cabin during heavy storms or bad weather. The state is helping camps pay for these safety measures. Texas will spend 10 million dollars to give grants that pay for half the cost of life jackets and life rafts. This means camps only have to pay for the other half of the equipment. The Department of State Health Services will also study how much these safety items cost so we know the full picture. Youth camps that are already operating have until January 1, 2029 to get everything in place. The department will keep track of which camps are following the new rules and share that information online. This law shows our state is committed to keeping young people safe during their camp experiences.