Ohio students with severe allergies no longer have to rely solely on EpiPens to survive an emergency at school. Governor Mike DeWine has signed House Bill 462 into law, opening the door for schools, camps and other youth programs across the state to stock and permit needle-free epinephrine nasal spray alongside traditional auto-injectors.
The bill, sponsored by state Representative Tracy M. Richardson (R-Marysville), passed the Ohio House in November 2025 and received final unanimous approval from both legislative chambers before DeWine signed it this month, according to the Ohio House of Representatives. As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, the change means Ohio schools and camps are no longer limited to EpiPens when treating severe allergic reactions, and students with a prescription and parental permission can carry and use approved epinephrine devices at school and school-sponsored events.
Richardson said the legislation grew out of a conversation with a local nurse and parent who flagged the gap for her, according to the Dispatch's reporting. She also said students with allergies would be able to carry nasal epinephrine in time for the new school year, per the same account.
Closing a Gap in State Law
The fix targets a technical but consequential problem buried in Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.718. That statute previously permitted students to self-carry and schools to stock only “epinephrine auto-injectors,” language that inadvertently excluded newly approved needle-free nasal spray formulations, according to the Ohio Legislature. House Bill 462 updates that term to “epinephrine delivery systems,” which the Dispatch notes now allows Ohio schools and camps to use or stock any FDA-approved epinephrine device for severe allergic reactions involving students, staff or visitors.
The law also extends its reach well beyond traditional public school districts. It now covers charter community schools, STEM schools, college-preparatory boarding schools, chartered nonpublic schools, residential camps and child day camps, according to the Ohio House of Representatives. Civil liability protections for staff and healthcare providers who procure or administer approved devices in good faith carry over to these newer devices as well.
The Needle-Free Alternative Behind the Change
The statutory update follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Neffy, made by ARS Pharmaceuticals, which became the first needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for emergency anaphylaxis treatment in adults and children weighing at least 30 kilograms in August 2024. The FDA says the spray delivers a 2 mg dose of epinephrine intranasally as an alternative to traditional EpiPens. In March 2025, the agency expanded approval to include a 1 mg intranasal dose for children weighing between 15 and 30 kilograms, according to ARS Pharmaceuticals, enabling kids as young as four to use the device.
Needle-based auto-injectors account for roughly 3,500 accidental needle-stick injuries annually among caregivers and children, according to ARS Pharmaceuticals, and that risk contributes to a needle phobia that can cause patients to delay life-saving treatment during an anaphylactic episode. Cost may also shape how quickly families and schools shift toward the newer option. Commercially insured patients can access a two-pack of Neffy for as little as $25 through co-pay programs, while uninsured patients face a cash price of $199, according to manufacturer disclosures reported by BioSpace.
Why Schools Stock Backup Doses at All
Epinephrine remains the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, and it works by relaxing airway muscles, reducing swelling and helping people breathe during an emergency, per the Dispatch. Federal data underscores why that matters in classrooms: the CDC's 2024 National Health Interview Survey, published in January 2026, found that 5.3% of U.S. children under 18 have a diagnosed food allergy, while 20.6% suffer from seasonal allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That works out to roughly one in 19 school-aged children with a food allergy, or about two students per classroom.
Undiagnosed cases pose their own risk. Research published by Food Allergy Research & Education in April 2024 found that more than 15% of school-aged children with food allergies have experienced a reaction at school, and that 20% to 25% of epinephrine administrations in schools occur in people with no prior allergy diagnosis. Severe anaphylaxis can cause fatal airway constriction within minutes if left untreated, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, which is part of why the law lets schools keep supplies on hand for emergencies involving students, staff and visitors.
House Bill 462 builds on a decade of incremental changes to Ohio's school emergency preparedness rules. Back in 2014, House Bill 296 authorized public and nonpublic schools to procure and stock backup epinephrine devices for emergency use by trained staff on any student or visitor, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. This year's bill simply widens that authority to match the medicine now available.
