The Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed the Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act on Tuesday (Feb. 17).
House Bill 381 is named after 8-year-old Sarah Marsh from Birmingham and 26 other campers and counselors who were killed in a flood on July 4, 2025, at Camp Mystic in Texas.
The bill requires overnight camps in Alabama to meet higher safety standards, including creating plans for emergencies and evacuations and procuring emergency preparedness licenses from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. It also prohibits camps from building cabins in floodplains.
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Sarah’s father Patrick Marsh told members of the press after the bill passed that the legislation will save lives.
“Had measures like this been in place in Texas, Sarah would still be here, 26 other girls would still be here,” Marsh said. “Nothing’s ever going to bring her back, but this is a big step forward to making sure that other lives aren’t lost and that other families aren’t going through this. That’s what we want Sarah’s legacy to be.”
Bitter sweet
Though he said he is glad to have something good come out of such a tragedy, Marsh said the passage of the bill is still very sad.
“I want nothing more than to have her come give me another big hug,” Marsh said.
Sponsor Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, worked on the legislation alongside Marsh’s parents.
“Everybody recognizes this is something that Alabama needed. It’s unfortunate that it took this tragedy and to a beautiful young girl here in Alabama,” Faulkner said off of the House floor. “That tragedy happened to her for us to do this in Alabama. But frankly, nobody had paid any attention to this.”
Texas has already adopted similar legislation in the wake of the disaster. Lawmakers filed a similar bill in Missouri as well.
Nearly every member of the House signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. It passed by a vote of 103–0.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Claire Harrison and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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