A bill filed ahead of the 2026 legislative session would provide Oklahoma’s 211 resource hotlines with state funding for the first time in a decade.
Senate Bill 1290 by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, would allocate at least $3 million in state dollars to support 211 Eastern Oklahoma and HeartLine.
The free hotlines connect hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans each year to resources like food and mental health support. The hotlines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and together cover all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties.
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Each hotline spends roughly $1.5 million a year to operate. United Way has largely covered these costs since 2016, using donations from businesses and nonprofits. But growing need and dwindling resources have put a strain on donor dollars…