WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 2013

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP); Dylan's Law; Service Oklahoma; driver license; unique symbol; voluntary; State Commissioner of Health; power and duty; Division of Health Care Information; autopsy; findings; records; determination; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Daniel Pae and 1 co-sponsor

Oklahoma allows voluntary epilepsy identifier on driver's licenses and mandates SUDEP death tracking to improve emergency response and medical data collection.

Becomes law without Governor's signature 05/25/2025
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2013

Legislative bill overview

HB 2013, known as "Dylan's Law," establishes a voluntary program allowing Oklahoma residents with epilepsy to display a unique symbol on their driver's license. The bill creates duties for the State Commissioner of Health to track SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) cases through autopsy findings and medical records, aiming to improve data collection on epilepsy-related deaths.

Why is this important

SUDEP is a significant but under-documented cause of death among people with epilepsy, and better data collection can help identify patterns and potentially inform prevention strategies. The driver's license symbol serves as a medical alert mechanism, potentially assisting emergency responders in providing appropriate care during seizure incidents. This represents a grassroots effort (named after someone, suggesting a personal tragedy) to address both awareness and medical documentation of epilepsy-related mortality.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Displaying epilepsy status on a driver's license creates a permanent medical identifier accessible to law enforcement and others, raising questions about discrimination and privacy preferences
  • Data collection burden: Requiring the health commissioner to systematically track autopsy findings and SUDEP cases may create administrative costs and require coordination between medical examiners, coroners, and health departments
  • Voluntary nature limits effectiveness: If adoption is low, the program may not generate sufficient data to meaningfully improve understanding of SUDEP patterns or adequately warn emergency responders

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.