West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 10 R cosponsors

HB 4798 — Permitting teachers to wear a “mobile alert button” for emergency situations, to be known as “Alyssa’s Law.”

Last action — Chapter 123, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House of Delegates
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 23, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 82% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    1 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (10 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows teachers to wear a mobile alert button for emergencies.

This legislation permits teachers to use a mobile alert button during emergencies, known as Alyssa's Law. It aims to improve safety in educational environments.

Summary

Permitting teachers to wear a “mobile alert button” for emergency situations, to be known as “Alyssa’s Law.”

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

1 added · 4 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to HB 4798 renames the bill to formally recognize it as "Alyssa's law," which focuses on improving school safety through a new wearable panic alert system. It empowers the West Virginia Board of Education to develop rules for schools to implement this safety device, given that funding is available. The law also establishes the Alyssa Alhadeff School Safety Fund to help cover the costs of implementing safety measures like mobile panic buttons, while ensuring that local law enforcement can access security data from schools. Notably, this law is set to expire by December 31, 2029, prompting officials to assess its effectiveness by then.

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Latest
HB4798 S ED AM #1 3-3Hager  7871 The Committee on Education moved to amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:  ARTICLE 9F.
HB4798 SFAT GRADY #1 3-9Hager  7871 Senator Grady moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:Eng.
SCHOOL ACCESS SAFETY ACT.
Com.
§18-9F-9a.
Sub.
Wearable panic alert system, "Alyssa's law".
for House Bill 4798—A Bill to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-9F-9a, relating to 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.
requiring the West Virginia Board of Education in conjunction with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to promulgate a rule permitting all public schools in the state to implement a wearable panic alert system device contingent on available funding;
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.
specifying requirements and county board authority relating to the wearable panic alert system device;
Each county board may apply to the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security for funding from the fund created pursuant to §18-9F-9a(f) of this section.
requiring all security data within a school facility to be accessible by a local law-enforcement agency;
This section shall be known as Alyssa’s law.
creating the Alyssa Alhadeff School Safety Fund;
(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 school employee 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 devices 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.
making expenditures from the fund available for the implementation of mobile panic buttons and similar school safety equipment;
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.
and sunsetting Alyssa's law by December 31, 2029.     AdoptedRejected
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, 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.   AdoptedRejected
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Education then Finance

  3. Introduced in House

  4. To House Education

  5. To House Public Education

  6. Markup Discussion

  7. To House Education

  8. Markup Discussion

  9. By substitute, do pass

  10. 2nd reference dispensed

  11. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  12. Read 1st time

  13. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  14. Read 2nd time

  15. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  16. Read 3rd time

  17. Passed House (Roll No. 183)

  18. Communicated to Senate

  19. Introduced in Senate

  20. To Education

  21. To Education

  22. Reported do pass, with amendment

  23. On 1st reading

  24. Read 1st time

  25. On 2nd reading

  26. Read 2nd time

  27. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  28. On 3rd reading

  29. Read 3rd time

  30. Passed Senate (Roll No. 378)

  31. Title amendment adopted

  32. Senate requests House to concur

  33. House received Senate message

  34. House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 380)

  35. Communicated to Senate

  36. Completed legislative action

  37. House Message received

  38. To Governor 3/11/2026

  39. To Governor 3/11/2026 - Senate Journal

  40. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal

  41. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal

  42. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

  43. Chapter 123, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 142 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (142)

142 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 142 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

PASSAGE

Passed 96 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 86002
Democrat 8001
Unaffiliated 2001
Total 96004
% of votes cast 96%0%0%4%
How each member voted (100)
Member Party Vote
Flanigan — Yea
Linville — Yea
Kump — Not Voting
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Evan Hansen Democrat Yea
Hollis Lewis Democrat Yea
John Williams Democrat Yea
Kayla Young Democrat Yea
Mike Pushkin Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Yea
Sean Hornbuckle Democrat Yea
Shawn Fluharty Democrat Not Voting
Adam Burkhammer Republican Yea
Adam Vance Republican Not Voting
Andy Shamblin Republican Yea
Betsy Kelly Republican Yea
Bill Bell Republican Yea
Bill Ridenour Republican Yea
Bob Fehrenbacher Republican Yea
Bryan Smith Republican Not Voting
Bryan Ward Republican Yea
Carl "Bill" Roop Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Yea
Charles Sheedy Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Christopher W. Toney Republican Yea
Chuck Horst Republican Yea
Clay Riley Republican Yea
D. Rolland Jennings Republican Yea
Dana Ferrell Republican Yea
Dave Foggin Republican Yea
David Cannon Republican Yea
David Green Republican Yea
David McCormick Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Doug Smith Republican Yea
Elias Coop-Gonzalez Republican Yea
Eric Brooks Republican Yea
Erica Moore Republican Yea
Evan Worrell Republican Yea
Gary G. Howell Republican Yea
Geno Chiarelli Republican Yea
George Miller Republican Yea
George Street Republican Yea
Gregory A. Watt Republican Yea
Guy Ward Republican Yea
Henry Dillon Republican Yea
Ian T. Masters Republican Yea
James Robert "JB" Akers II Republican Yea
Jarred Cannon Republican Yea
Jeff Campbell Republican Yea
Jeff Eldridge Republican Yea
Jeffrey Stephens Republican Yea
Jim Butler Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Joe Ellington Republican Yea
Joe Funkhouser Republican Yea
Joe Parsons Republican Yea
Joe Statler Republican Yea
John Jordan Republican Yea
John Paul Hott Republican Yea
Jonathan Kyle Republican Yea
Jonathan Pinson Republican Yea
Jordan Bridges Republican Yea
Jordan Maynor Republican Yea
Josh Holstein Republican Yea
Kathie Hess Crouse Republican Yea
Keith Marple Republican Yea
Laura Kimble Republican Yea
Lisa White Republican Yea
Lori Dittman Republican Yea
Margitta Mazzocchi Republican Yea
Mark Dean Republican Yea
Mark Zatezalo Republican Yea
Marshall W. Clay Republican Yea
Marty Gearheart Republican Yea
Matthew Rohrbach Republican Yea
Michael Amos Republican Yea
Michael Hite Republican Yea
Michael Hornby Republican Yea
Mickey Petitto Republican Yea
Pat McGeehan Republican Yea
Patrick Lucas Republican Yea
Phil Mallow Republican Yea
Ray Canterbury Republican Yea
Rick Hillenbrand Republican Yea
Roger Hanshaw Republican Yea
Roy Cooper Republican Yea
Ryan Browning Republican Yea
S. Chris Anders Republican Yea
Sarah Drennan Republican Yea
Scot C. Heckert Republican Yea
Stanley Adkins Republican Yea
Tresa Howell Republican Yea
Tristan Leavitt Republican Yea
Vacant1 Republican Yea
Vernon Criss Republican Yea
Walter Hall Republican Yea
Wayne Clark Republican Yea
William Anderson Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 4798 do?
Permitting teachers to wear a “mobile alert button” for emergency situations, to be known as “Alyssa’s Law.”
Who sponsors HB 4798?
HB 4798 is sponsored by Jonathan Pinson (Republican), Christopher W. Toney (Republican), Kathie Hess Crouse (Republican), Adam Burkhammer (Republican), Tristan Leavitt (Republican), Joe Parsons (Republican), Vacant1 (Republican), Joe Ellington (Republican), Michael Hornby (Republican), and Jim Butler (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 4798?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 23, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 4798?
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