House 4798

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4798

By Delegates Pinson, Toney, Crouse, Burkhammer, Leavitt, Parsons, Pritt, Ellington, Hornby, and Butler

[Originating in the Committee on Education on February 19, 2026]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-9F-9a, relating to permitting all schools in the state to implement a wearable panic alert system to be known as Alyssa's law.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 9F. SCHOOL ACCESS SAFETY ACT.

§18-9F-9a. Wearable panic alert system, "Alyssa's law".

(a) The state board in conjunction with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management shall promulgate by December 31, 2026, a legislative rule in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code, and if necessary may promulgate an emergency rule in accordance with that article, permitting a wearable panic alert system device to be implemented at every public school in the state contingent upon available funding for application by the state board, and this shall be known as Alyssa’s law.

(b) Each wearable panic alert system device shall be capable of integrating with local public safety answering point infrastructure to transmit 9-1-1 calls and mobile activations and initiating a campus-wide lockdown notification.

(c) Each county board may provide each facility personnel in a school facility with a wearable panic alert device that allows for immediate contact with local emergency response agencies.

(d) Prior to the first day of school each year, each county board shall ensure that all school facility personnel who utilize the wearable panic alert deceives receive training on the protocol for and appropriate use of the panic alert device.

(e) Each county board shall ensure that all security data within a school facility is accessible by a local law-enforcement agency and coordinate with the local law-enforcement agency to establish appropriate access protocols. Accessible security data includes cameras, maps, and access control.

(f) The Alyssa Alhadeff School Safety Fund is hereby created within the Treasury of the State. The fund shall be administered by the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and shall consist of all monies from any source, including, but not limited to, all fees, all gifts, grants, bequests or transfers from any source. Expenditures from the fund shall be available for the implementation of mobile panic buttons and similar school safety equipment.

(g) The provisions of this section shall sunset by December 31, 2029.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to implement a wearable panic alert system, to be known as Alyssa's law, in all schools in the state.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.