После наводнения в Миссури законодатель намерена повторно внести законопроект о безопасности летних лагерей

Southeast Missouri flooding reinforces representative’s plan to refile camp safety bill COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Representative Cameron Parker's efforts to get a law passed on camp safety regulations didn't come to fruition in 2026. But she said she'll try again , spurred on in part by recent floods and a camp evacuation in southeast Missouri. During the 2026 legislative session, Parker filed House Bill 3142, which establishes Missouri's first statutory emergency preparedness framework for overnight camps during weather emergencies. Parker said the flooding and evacuation at Camp Taum Sauk in Reynolds County have reinforced her plans to adjust and refile the camp safety bill. “I immediately thought of my camp safety bill. And I think, you know what, that right there is why this bill was filed. I mean, we don't want to wait until we have a Texas tragedy, you know, a heartbreaking event like they had in Texas," Parker said. "We don't want to sit back and wait. We need something in place to ensure that there are safety protocols for our camps and our in our children.” Currently, Missouri has no state safety regulations for overnight camps, but some camps voluntarily receive accreditation through the American Camp Association according to Parker. Parker said the bill was heavily supported throughout Missouri, but there was some pushback from smaller camps who feared the regulations were going to send them out of business due to costs. Parker said she has sat down with those opposing the bill and is working with them to address concerns about the costs. To keep safety protocols as low-cost as possible, Parker removed the previous mandatory website requirements. "There were some that said, you know, this would be too expensive. That's not the goal," Parker said. Parker mentioned that schools, hospitals and nursing homes already operate under state safety guidelines and that overnight camps should have similar safety protocals. "Luckily, at Camp Taum Sauk this weekend or this past week, we were able to, you know, just get those kids home safely," Parker said. "But that's the takeaway. It's to bring our kids safely, send them to camp and bring them home safely." Boone County Emergency Management Director Chris Kelley said camp operators in his area are currently responsible for monitoring weather forecasts and warning campers of any hazardous camping conditions. "Me being an emergency manager in my county, if I had something like that, I would be communicating with my campgrounds," Kelley said. Kelley recommends for campers to make sure they are staying alert while camping and looking at the forecast ahead of time to ensure a safe camping trip. "The biggest thing is self-preparedness and having that self-situational awareness of how weather can change so quickly and having many methodologies to get that information. So you as an individual, know what's going to be affecting wherever you are," Kelley said.