Fentanyl is killing kids. State lawmakers are searching for answers.

Fentanyl’s toll now includes a growing number of children.

Desperate to keep the deadly synthetic opioid out of the hands of kids, Texas lawmakers enacted Tucker’s Law this summer to launch an education campaign about its dangers in middle and high schools.

A world away politically, California lawmakers are considering Melanie’s Law, which would require schools to tackle opioid overdoses in their safety plans.

Both measures are named for teenagers who are part of a rapidly swelling group: children dying of fentanyl overdoses. State and federal lawmakers and health officials, overwhelmed by...