HB2013, known as Dylan’s Law, addresses sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) through a mix of public health, licensing, and death-investigation measures. The bill authorizes Service Oklahoma, beginning June 1, 2026, to offer a voluntary epilepsy designation on driver licenses and state ID cards using a unique symbol, with the option to place the designation on the card or in the law-enforcement database and to remove it later. The stated purpose is to help law enforcement and emergency medical personnel identify and communicate effectively with people diagnosed with epilepsy.
The bill also directs the State Commissioner of Health and the Division of Health Care Information to take on new epilepsy-related duties. The Commissioner must consult with epilepsy organizations and provide guidance to medical professionals on identifying patients at elevated risk for SUDEP, while the Division must develop a public and professional information program to reduce SUDEP deaths and encourage a CPT code for epilepsy education. In addition, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office must inform staff about SUDEP, and when an autopsy is performed on a person with epilepsy or a seizure history, the report must determine whether SUDEP occurred.
HB2013 further amends Oklahoma’s autopsy and records laws by requiring that SUDEP be noted on the death certificate and reported to the North American SUDEP Registry when identified. It also expands the public-health and medical-examiner framework by tying SUDEP review to existing reporting and disclosure procedures. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025, while the driver-license designation provision begins later, on June 1, 2026.
The bill’s impact is to create new state-level procedures for epilepsy identification, SUDEP education, and death certification, while adding duties to Service Oklahoma, the State Department of Health, and the Chief Medical Examiner. It affects people diagnosed with epilepsy, their families, medical providers, emergency responders, and death-investigation officials, and it may also influence how health data and autopsy findings are handled in state systems.
Overall, the sentiment around the bill appears generally supportive, with strong bipartisan advancement through both chambers and several unanimous or near-unanimous committee votes. At the same time, the floor votes show some opposition, suggesting that while the bill was broadly favored, it was not entirely uncontested. The main points of contention likely centered on the scope of government involvement in driver identification, health-data handling, and autopsy reporting, as well as privacy concerns tied to a voluntary epilepsy marker and the disclosure of medical and death-investigation information.
HB2013 amends Title 47 and Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes to add a voluntary epilepsy identifier on driver licenses and state IDs, impose new SUDEP-related duties on the State Commissioner of Health and the Division of Health Care Information, and require the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate and document SUDEP in relevant autopsies. It also requires SUDEP notation on death certificates and reporting to the North American SUDEP Registry, thereby changing state public-health reporting, medical examiner practice, and certain records procedures.
The bill appears to have received broadly favorable treatment in committee and on final passage, with multiple strong vote margins and some unanimous committee approval. The presence of several dissenting votes on floor readings indicates that there was some concern, but the overall legislative trajectory suggests support for the bill’s public-health goals and its focus on epilepsy awareness and SUDEP prevention.
The most likely areas of contention were privacy and implementation. The voluntary epilepsy symbol on driver licenses and in law-enforcement systems could raise concerns about disclosure of medical information and potential misuse, even though the bill limits the designation to voluntary use and says it may be removed. Another possible point of debate is the expanded role of health agencies and the medical examiner in SUDEP education, reporting, and autopsy determinations, including whether these requirements add administrative burden or exceed traditional licensing and vital-record functions.