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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 5
BY SENATOR BROOME
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Directs the Department of Education to study public school
compliance with state law regarding required physical activity in schools.
A RESOLUTION1
To authorize and direct the Department of Education to study and evaluate the2
implementation of state law regarding required physical activity in public schools3
and its effectiveness in combating obesity and to submit a written report to the4
Senate Select Committee on Women and Children.5
WHEREAS, R.S. 17:17.1 requires certain physical activity in schools; and 6
WHEREAS, each public school that includes any of the grades kindergarten through7
eight is to provide at least thirty minutes each school day of quality moderate to vigorous8
physical activity for students, and no later than September first of each year, each public9
elementary school is to report to its local public school board on it compliance, with the local10
public school board reporting to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education no11
later than October first; and12
WHEREAS, suitably adapted physical activity is to be included as part of the13
individual education plans for students with chronic health problems, other disabling14
conditions, or other special needs that preclude participation in regular physical activity; and15
WHEREAS, any student not enrolled in a physical education course at a public16
secondary school is encouraged to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity17
commensurate with the ability of the student for a minimum of thirty minutes per day to18 SR NO. 5
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develop good health, physical fitness, and improve motor coordination and physical skills;1
and 2
WHEREAS, an outreach and communication plan consisting of current information3
and research on health, nutrition, and physical education and fitness issues is to be developed4
pursuant to the collaborative efforts of the Department of Health and Hospitals; Department5
of Education; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Pennington Biomedical6
Research Center; Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Louisiana Council on7
Obesity, Prevention and Management; Louisiana Association of Physical Education,8
Recreation and Dance; and the American Heart Association; and 9
WHEREAS, the outreach and communication plan is to be disseminated to each local10
public school board and made available to parents and students; and11
WHEREAS, each local public school board is to establish a school health advisory12
council to advise the board on physical activity for students, physical and health education,13
nutrition, and overall student health so that:14
(1) The council may advise the board on issues relative to compliance with school15
vending machine restrictions, use of physical fitness assessment results, and school recess16
policies. 17
(2) The council members are to be appointed by the school board to include parents18
of students and individuals representing the community, all serving without compensation;19
and20
WHEREAS, there is a recognized need for targeted intervention strategies that21
address and produce sustained results among African-American children battling obesity and22
that reduce childhood obesity by the development of and the support of sustainable programs23
to combat childhood obesity; and24
WHEREAS, there is a need to determine the degree of implementation of the state25
law regarding required physical activity in public schools and its effectiveness in combating26
obesity.27
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Department of Education is hereby28
authorized and directed to study and evaluate the implementation of state law regarding29
required physical activity in public schools and its effectiveness in combating obesity.30 SR NO. 5
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education shall submit a1
written report to the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children, on or before2
December 31, 2013, of its findings as to whether or not public schools, local public school3
boards, and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are complying with the4
reporting requirement of RS 17:17.1; the degree and extent of pubic schools are actually5
implementing the required physical activity requirement; whether the development of the6
outreach and communication plan has occurred and whether or not it has been distributed7
to local public school boards and made available to parents and students; and whether or not8
each local public school board has established a school health advisory council; the makeup9
of each health advisory council; whether the health advisory councils are meeting; and what10
recommendations the health advisory councils have made to their local public school boards11
over the last five years. 12
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Select Committee on Women and Children13
hold a public meeting before March 1, 2014, on the report submitted by the Department of14
Education.15
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the16
state superintendent of education.17
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
Broome SR No. 5
Directs the Department of Education to study and evaluate the implementation of state law
regarding required physical activity in public schools and its effectiveness in combating
obesity.
Provides that the department shall submit a written report to the Senate Select Committee
on Women and Children, on or before December 31, 2013, of its findings as to whether or
not public schools, local public school boards, and BESE are complying with the reporting
requirement of RS 17:17.1; the degree and extent of public schools are actually
implementing the required physical activity requirement; whether the development of the
outreach and communication plan has occurred and whether or not it has been distributed
to local public school boards and made available to parents and students; and whether or not
each local public school board has established a school health advisory council; the makeup
of each health advisory council; whether the health advisory councils are meeting; and what
recommendations the health advisory councils have made to their local public school boards
over the last five years.
Provides that the Select Committee on Women and Children hold a public meeting before
March 1, 2014, on the report.