Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights families with allergy-prone students gained a new option after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 462 on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The law updates Ohio's school allergy policy to let students carry and self-administer intranasal epinephrine spray, not just traditional EpiPens. It passed both chambers unanimously.

Under the previous law, only EpiPen auto-injectors were explicitly permitted for student self-carry. HB 462 expands those provisions to cover nasal delivery devices, all epinephrine auto-injectors and any future FDA-approved epinephrine delivery system, giving families and doctors more choices during an allergic emergency.

State Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), the bill's sponsor, said the idea came from a constituent. "This bill is the result of a local nurse and parent making me aware of the need for a change," Richardson said in a statement reported by ABC 6/WSYX.

Richardson said the bill was signed in time for the new school year.

The leading nasal option on the market is neffy, a single-dose epinephrine spray approved by the FDA in August 2024 for adults and children over 66 pounds. A lower-dose version for children as young as four has also been approved. The device is about the size of an earbud case.

Upper Arlington City Schools already requires families to complete an authorization form for any epinephrine auto-injector used during school hours, according to the district's health office page. Whether UA or Grandview Heights schools will update those forms or issue new guidance to reflect the expanded law has not been announced, according to Richardson's office.

Parents with questions about epinephrine authorization can contact their school's health office.