Representative Danny Williams

R

District 28

Hi, I'm Danny Williams and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 28th District.


representative

Leadership

Majority Caucus Vice Chair

59th Legislature

News & Announcements

Oct 28, 2025
Recent Posts

Williams Holds Interim Study on Foster Care Housing

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, led an interim study to examine barriers to foster care participation and explore ways to expand safe, stable housing for Oklahoma children in foster care. The meeting focused on incentives, training and oversight reforms aimed at increasing the number of homes prepared to care for foster children. Oklahoma continues to lag behind peer states in placement stability, prompting lawmakers to explore actionable recommendations to strengthen the system. "We want to do the best we can for the kids we serve. What breaks my heart is they don't have a voice, and if we don’t speak for them, they don't get spoken for," Williams said. "The goal of this study is to find out what we can do to make things better for kids. A lot of improvements will have to be done at the local level, that is where the real benefits are going to come." Kylie Adams, a recruiter for foster homes with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, highlighted challenges facing foster parents, including outdated pay rates and limited support for emergency placements. She stated that foster parents currently receive between $16 to $21 per day, with no increase in at least five years. Adams suggested raising emergency pay by $50 per child per day and creating specialized childcare facilities to support children while parents work. She also called for investment in front-line staff to improve retention and better compete with other states. Former foster child Kris Gilmore shared personal experiences highlighting gaps in the system, saying the biggest disconnect is that foster children’s concerns are often not heard or acted upon, and in some cases, they must repeat their concerns multiple times over the years. "A lot of folks downplay it as ‘you're just children, you don’t know what's best for you,’ and that is correct in most cases, but we do know when we are in danger and when there is a situation we don’t want to return to," Gilmore said. "This has had an extreme effect on my siblings’ ability to do well in life." Lindsay Crim with the Department of Human Services spoke toward the end of the meeting, thanking foster parents for their dedication and noting that DHS has several initiatives in the works, including a well-being system and increased community involvement, such as partnerships with churches. "Child welfare is not just DHS," Crim said. "It’s community involvement, juvenile justice, behavioral health, mental health, and simply providing natural care for our children." Williams expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the meeting and shared their experiences. "We are listening to foster parents and former children in care so we can understand the real-world challenges and deliver solutions that truly make a difference," Williams said. "Every child deserves a safe home and a chance to thrive." The study, Interim Study 25-109, was heard by the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Sep 19, 2025
Recent Posts

Williams Hosts Interim Study on Children’s Court Reform

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, hosted an interim study this week at the state Capitol to explore how a unified statewide family court system could help improve outcomes for Oklahoma children in deprived cases. The study brought together child advocates, lawmakers from across the state and representatives from Texas to examine disparities in Oklahoma’s current family court system. The group discussed how specialized courts, like those operating in other states, could better serve children and families in the state’s care. "Oklahoma has an opportunity to strengthen how we handle cases involving our most vulnerable children,” Williams said. "By having judges who specialize in family and child welfare cases, we can make sure these matters are heard by someone who truly understands the system and the trauma many of these children have faced. We owe it to these children to build a court system that works for them." The study reviewed models from other states, including the Texas Child Protection Courts (CPCs), which are dedicated solely to handling Child Protective Services cases. CPC judges undergo specialized training in foster care, youth trauma and CPS procedures, allowing them to manage caseloads more effectively. Texas began with four CPCs funded through a federal grant and now operates 31 courts managing more than half of the state’s CPS dockets which are now funded by the Texas Legislature through General Revenue. CPC judges are appointed by regional presiding judges and serve as either associated judges or former judges. Their decisions are subject to de novo review by elected judges, ensuring a fresh look at each case if appealed. Much like Oklahoma’s Family Representation Advocacy Act, passed in 2023, which created the Office of Family Representation to ensure high-quality legal representation for children and indigent parents in deprived actions, a unified family court system would focus on consistency and expertise. Under such a system, judges would be assigned solely to family and child advocacy cases within their districts. Williams said Oklahoma already has part of the structure in place, which could make the transition to a specialized model possible. "We have the framework if we decide to go this route," Williams said. "It would just take some moving of the pieces around a bit to make it work for Oklahoma." Oklahoma’s 22nd Judicial District Judge Brett Butner, who participated in the study, said it is important to review and address Oklahoma's long-standing challenges in its child welfare system. "I am grateful for Representative Williams' invitation to discuss the difficult issues that judges navigate in our current child welfare system," Butner said. "It is exciting to see Oklahoma's leaders explore concepts and launch innovative programs, like the Office of Family Representation, to support families and strengthen our current system." The Oklahoma Office of Family Representation is expanding to Seminole County, located within the 22nd Judicial District, on Feb. 1, 2026. No formal legislation has been filed yet regarding a unified family court system, but Williams said he hopes the study will serve as a foundation for future policy discussions.

May 6, 2025
Recent Posts

Bill to Protect Juvenile Detainees from Exploitation Heads to Governor’s Desk

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to strengthen protections for youth in state custody by requiring mandatory reporting of sexual misconduct in juvenile facilities has passed the Legislature and is now headed to the governor for consideration. Senate Bill 870 , authored by Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, and Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, establishes the Accountability, Transparency and Protection for Exploited Youth Act. The legislation mandates that all employees and contractors working in state-run juvenile facilities, contracted facilities, or group homes under the oversight of the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) must report any sexual misconduct or exploitation involving staff, volunteers, contractors and juveniles. “This bill is about protecting some of the most vulnerable kids in our state,” Williams said. “If the state takes custody of a child, we also take full responsibility for their safety. Senate Bill 870 makes sure no one can look the other way when abuse happens, and that there are serious consequences if they do.” Under the measure, failure to report such misconduct to the facility supervisor and the OJA’s Independent Oversight Committee (IOC) will result in felony charges, punishable by up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000. In addition to criminal penalties, individuals, the OJA and its contractors may face civil fines of up to $50,000. The legislation also holds facilities accountable for proper employee training. A failure to ensure staff are trained in mandatory reporting protocols can trigger civil liability. Investigation reports must be forwarded to the district attorney in the jurisdiction where the abuse occurred. The bill permits limited access to records and files concerning allegations or confirmed cases of physical or sexual violence against minors in custody. Access is restricted to information directly related to the incident and is governed by strict confidentiality requirements to protect the integrity of investigations and the privacy of victims. “This legislation makes it abundantly clear that anyone working in a juvenile facility who becomes aware of sexual misconduct is legally required to report it,” Rader said. “The goal is to ensure that anyone in a position to act as a whistleblower fully understands their responsibility to protect vulnerable minors. The Legislature’s unanimous support for this bill underscores a shared commitment to preventing the kind of abuse that occurred in Tulsa from ever happening again.” Colleen McCarty, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, praised the measure as a critical step forward in juvenile justice reform. “This law is a victory for children who have been voiceless for too long,” McCarty said. “It sets clear expectations for those in power and provides a pathway to justice when those expectations are violated. We’re grateful to Rep. Williams and Sen. Rader for championing this effort.” SB870 now awaits the governor’s signature.