West Virginia bill would expand fentanyl education to elementary schools

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - West Virginia lawmakers have introduced legislation that would expand fentanyl and opioid awareness education to younger students, bringing life-saving prevention lessons to elementary schools for the first time.

House Bill 4655, introduced by Delegates Stephens, Pritt, Willis, Campbell and Dittman, would expand “Laken’s Law” to include grades 3-5, down from the current requirement of grades 6-12.

Laken’s Law, passed in 2024, currently requires students in grades 6-12 to receive fentanyl and opioid education. The law is being supported by GameChanger, which launched GameChanger University in collaboration with West Virginia University and Marshall University.

GameChanger University is designed to provide age-appropriate, evidence-based lessons for students and will support schools’ compliance with Laken’s Law. The initiative already reaches approximately 175,000 students across over 200 West Virginia schools.

The legislation would require students in grades 3-12 to receive mandatory annual instruction on:

• Fentanyl, heroin, and opioids awareness and prevention
• The life-saving use of FDA-approved opioid reversal agents
• Prevention of opioid abuse and addiction
• Available state and community resources for substance abuse support
• General health education on substance abuse issues

If passed, the mandatory instruction for grades 3-5 would begin in the 2026-2027 school year, giving schools time to develop curriculum and train educators.

HB 4655 has been referred to the House Committee on Education for further consideration.