Gov. Patrick Morrisey has signed House Bill 4982, the Make West Virginia Healthy Act, legislation designed to address diet-related illness, increase student fitness and improve access to healthy foods across the state. The measure will take effect May 21.
New Office and Medicaid Expansion
The legislation creates a new Office of Healthy Lifestyles to coordinate health programs across state agencies, including the departments of health, education and agriculture. A key component allows the state’s Medicaid program to begin offering certain “food is medicine” services for eligible participants with chronic conditions. According to the bill, the program could include medically tailored meals, nutrition counseling and produce prescriptions for patients whose health conditions are heavily influenced by diet. Supporters say the approach could improve health outcomes while reducing long-term medical costs by addressing chronic disease earlier.
School-Based Physical Activity Requirements
The legislation expands requirements related to student physical activity in public schools. Under the law, schools may not withhold recess or physical activity as punishment for academic or behavioral issues for younger students. Schools will conduct periodic physical fitness assessments for students in grades four through eight and in high school, measuring areas such as aerobic capacity, strength, endurance and flexibility to track overall student fitness.
Food Access and Community Initiatives
The law promotes stronger connections between schools and local agriculture through expanded farm-to-school initiatives aimed at increasing access to locally grown foods in school meals. State officials are also directed to identify areas considered “food deserts,” where residents have limited access to fresh and nutritious foods, and develop strategies to improve availability in those communities. The legislation creates a Healthy Lifestyles Fund to support grants and programs focused on nutrition, physical activity and community health initiatives.
Morrisey framed the legislation as part of a broader push to improve health outcomes in West Virginia, which consistently ranks among the nation’s highest in rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The governor has embraced the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda championed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At an August 2025 event, Morrisey stated: “In West Virginia, we’re cleaning up our food and getting people moving because in West Virginia, we don’t just follow, we lead. We will make West Virginia healthy again.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/make-west-virginia-healthy-again-statewide-health-initiatives-to-launch-under-newly-signed-law/article_2110f0a4-b7a6-47f5-9db1-16348ba405d2.html