House Bill 2753 was recently passed by the OK Legislature and on May 11, 2023 it was signed into law by Governor Stitt.
The bill came about due to the efforts an advocacy of Dr. Chalon Edwards Anderson, a gerontologist and member of the Oklahoma Silver Haired Legislature (OSHL). She sought and secured the support of Representative Nicole Miller and Senator Darrell Weaver who supported and carried the bill to the Oklahoma House of Representatives and State Senate.
House Bill 2753 creates a Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Registry, (a searchable database). Once implemented, the registry will be accessible by the public and will include the names of those convicted in Oklahoma of abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults, along with details of their offenses. The law goes into effect on November1, 2023.
The bill received the strong and relentless support of Esther Houser, president of the OSHL, and Trish Emig, of the OK Council on Aging. Both are dedicated long-time state advocates for the aging community. It was also supported by the Oklahoma Alliance on Aging, the Oklahoma State Council on Aging, the Oklahoma affiliate of American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), and the OSHL Alumni.
This will truly be a tool to aid families when selecting individuals to care for their loved ones. It will also help nursing homes and other similar facilities avoid employing unqualified and undesirable individuals to care for their residents or patients.
