Status: Enacted – Signed April 1, 2026; effective approximately July 1, 2026 (90 days from passage); program sunsets December 31, 2029
Bill Number: WV HB 4798 (2026 Regular Session)
Jurisdiction: West Virginia
Category: School Safety, Panic Alert Systems
Industries: K-12 Education
Enacted Date: April 1, 2026
Effective Date: Approximately July 1, 2026 (per the West Virginia 90-day effective-date rule for legislation without an emergency clause); statutory provisions sunset December 31, 2029
Summary: West Virginia HB 4798 creates Alyssa’s Law in West Virginia, permitting teachers and school staff to wear a “mobile alert button” for emergency situations. The devices allow school personnel to directly contact 9-1-1 and trigger campus-wide lockdown notifications. The bill establishes the Alyssa Alhadeff School Safety Fund within the state Treasury, administered by the WV Department of Homeland Security, to offset equipment and training costs for participating county school systems. The bill passed the House 96-0 on February 25, 2026, passed the Senate 34-0 on March 9, 2026, with the House concurring with Senate amendments on March 10, 2026, and was signed into law by Governor Patrick Morrisey on April 1, 2026. Implementation is contingent on available funding, and the entire program sunsets on December 31, 2029, requiring legislative reauthorization to continue beyond that date. West Virginia is one of two states (along with Virginia) to enact Alyssa’s Law in spring 2026.
Requirements: Wearable mobile alert button for teachers and staff; direct 9-1-1 integration; campus-wide lockdown notification capability; annual training required; coordination with local law enforcement for security access; funding-contingent implementation; program sunsets December 31, 2029.
Funding: Alyssa Alhadeff School Safety Fund (state treasury, administered by WV Department of Homeland Security). The fund covers eligible equipment, deployment, and training costs for participating county boards of education.
Affected Entities: All West Virginia public schools (county boards of education).
IntelliSee Relevance: Medium – West Virginia’s 2026 Alyssa’s Law gives counties a funded path to wearable panic-button coverage. IntelliSee’s AI weapon detection on existing camera infrastructure pairs cleanly with the wearable button layer: when a teacher activates the button, dispatchers receive the verbal alert; when a firearm is brandished anywhere on camera, IntelliSee surfaces an automated alert with location and verified visual context via RapidSOS direct-to-911 integration, closing the gap between staff-initiated and detection-initiated emergency response.