Oklahoma House approves Dylan’s Law expanding insurance protections and epilepsy care, including neurostimulation devices coverage

What the Oklahoma House approved

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved House Bill 2013, a measure titled “Dylan’s Law” that expands health insurance protections for people diagnosed with epilepsy and establishes several new statewide steps aimed at reducing seizure-related risks. The bill passed the House on March 24, 2025, by a vote of 59–30.

As written, the measure would require individual and group health insurance policies that provide medical and surgical benefits and are issued pursuant to the federal Affordable Care Act to provide the same coverage and benefits to an enrollee diagnosed with epilepsy as would be provided to an enrollee without that diagnosis. The bill also bars insurers subject to the Affordable Care Act from terminating coverage or refusing to renew coverage solely due to an epilepsy diagnosis.

Insurance coverage changes: neurostimulation devices and medical policy requirements

A central provision requires insurers to adopt medical policies that provide coverage for medically necessary neurostimulation devices prescribed by a physician actively treating the patient, with the bill framing the requirement as part of a strategy to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). A legislative fiscal analysis describes these devices as “seizure protection devices” and anticipates that the state share of Medicaid-related fiscal effects could range widely, while projecting a negligible impact on HealthChoice rates.

• Coverage parity for enrollees with epilepsy under applicable individual and group plans.
• Prohibition on termination or nonrenewal solely because of an epilepsy diagnosis.
• Coverage for medically necessary neurostimulation devices when prescribed and deemed medically necessary under the bill’s framework.

Public health and death-investigation provisions tied to SUDEP

Beyond insurance rules, the bill directs the State Commissioner of Health to provide education or guidance for medical professionals who treat epilepsy, including tools to help identify patients at elevated risk for SUDEP. It also calls for a public-facing information program within the Injury Prevention Service intended to increase awareness of SUDEP risks.

In addition, the measure requires death-investigation procedures to more consistently assess SUDEP when an autopsy is conducted on a deceased person with epilepsy or a history of seizures. If SUDEP is determined to be the cause of death, the bill requires that determination to be noted on the death certificate and reported to the North American SUDEP Registry.

New optional epilepsy designation for driver licenses and IDs

The bill also contains a transportation-related provision: beginning June 1, 2026, it would require Service Oklahoma to allow a driver license or state identification cardholder to voluntarily add a unique symbol indicating an epilepsy diagnosis made by a licensed physician. Under the bill, the designation is limited to use by law enforcement officers and emergency medical professionals to identify and communicate effectively with the person, and it may be removed at any time. The designation could appear on the card itself or be stored in the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, depending on the cardholder’s choice and agency procedures.

Effective date specified in the bill for the voluntary license/ID designation: June 1, 2026.

Where the bill stands next

After clearing the House, HB 2013 moved to the Oklahoma Senate for further consideration as part of the legislative process. Separately, bill-tracking records indicate the measure later became law in late May 2025 without the governor’s signature, with multiple provisions scheduled for implementation through agency actions and the June 1, 2026 effective date for the optional license and ID designation.

The measure is named “Dylan’s Law” in reference to Dylan Whitten, whose death in 2017 was attributed to SUDEP in accounts connected to the bill’s introduction and House passage.