OKLAHOMA CITY –Last week, HB 2716 authored by Freshman Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City passed the House floor and is headed to the Senate for consideration.

HB 2716 requires the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to report families moving off the Department of Developmental Disability Services waiting list and document services those families are receiving. The bill also requires the department to identify what other supports may be available to help families while they are waiting for services.

OKDHS reported more than 5,000 families with children and adults with developmental disabilities are on the waiting list to receive services.

Rep. Hefner is the parent of an adult with developmental disabilities. She said families have been on the waiting list for up to 15 years.

“As a working mother and legislator, I know first-hand the amount of pressure and strain parents are under to ensure their children with developmental disabilities are able to live safe, healthy, independent and productive lives,” Rep. Hefner said.

DDS provides a variety of services to support the independence and health of Oklahomans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This includes personal care like occupational and speech therapy and services like career assistance and job placement. 

“My plan with HB 2716 is to give families information on how the waiting list is moving by tracking the number of families that are currently on the list, the average waiting time and how many families are moved off the waiting list and receiving services,” Rep. Hefner added. “Because the waiting list was so long when we funded the elimination, tracking the progress and impact to families should be a priority for the state.”

In conjunction with HB 4466 last year that appropriated $32.5 million to eliminate the DDS waiting list, Rep. Hefner said she hopes public reporting and tracking of this information will empower families and keep the list moving until there is no longer a waiting list.

“This bill is about making sure Oklahoma families are healthy. It’s about making sure all families are supported. It’s about making sure families with children or adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities have the information they need to make the right decisions for a healthy, happy family,” Rep. Hefner said.

Who is eligible for services from DDS? You must be:

• Oklahoma resident
• Over three years old
• An IQ of 70 or below
• A qualified diagnosis of a developmental disability

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