2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 116
BY SENATORS MILLS AND BISHOP
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part III of Chapter 2 of Title 24 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 24:111 through 114, relative to exercise and healthier
4 communities; to create the Work Out Now: WON Louisiana Legislative
5 Commission; to provide for commission membership, powers, duties, and functions;
6 to provide for staff support and finances for the commission; to provide for
7 cooperation with and support for the commission; to provide for an effective date;
8 and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 2 of Title 24 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
11 comprised of R.S. 24:111 through 114, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 PART III. WORK OUT NOW: WON LOUISIANA
13 LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION
14 §111. Purpose and Findings
15 A. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate in the nation and the
16 fourth highest obesity rate for children ages ten through seventeen.
17 Obesity-related health issues plague our citizens, with Louisiana ranking fifth
ACT No. 187
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1 in the nation for adults with diabetes and fourth in the nation for adults with
2 hypertension. The Louisiana Medicaid program alone spent more than
3 ninety-eight million dollars in 2014 in total obesity-related payments for
4 Medicaid-covered children and adults. In 2012, the Robert Wood Johnson
5 Foundation estimated that a cumulative five percent body mass index reduction
6 in children and adults in Louisiana could save the state nine billion dollars by
7 2030.
8 B. The issue of obesity in Louisiana has been studied tirelessly by
9 countless national and state entities and there is no shortage of plans, programs,
10 strategies, and initiatives by organizations at every level, and yet obesity rates
11 in Louisiana continue to increase every year. Our children and adults develop
12 obesity-related chronic diseases that impact every aspect of their lives, including
13 decreased school performance, job absences, and lack of engagement in family
14 and community, all of which decrease quality of life and come with a significant
15 financial impact to the state.
16 C. The legislature finds and declares that the greatest resource in
17 tackling any problem that impacts a community is the community itself. The
18 obesity crisis cannot be mandated away at the federal or state level. It must be
19 a priority at the local level, and to that end our mayors are key to the success of
20 any effort to first slow and then reverse our obesity rates, thereby saving money
21 and increasing the quality of life for all of our citizens. Our mayors must be
22 equipped with the information needed to help their constituents lead healthier
23 lives, which will result in a more prosperous community and save the taxpayers
24 millions of dollars related to treating preventable chronic diseases.
25 §112. Work Out Now: WON Louisiana Legislative Commission; established;
26 membership; duties
27 A. The Work Out Now: WON Louisiana Legislative Commission is
28 hereby established to work directly with local elected officials to bring the battle
29 against obesity to the local level.
30 B. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare shall
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1 serve as the chairman of the commission, which shall be comprised of the
2 following members:
3 (1) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.
4 (2) One member who serves on the Senate Committee on Local and
5 Municipal Affairs, to be selected by the chairman.
6 (3) One member who serves on the Senate Committee on Education, to
7 be selected by the chairman.
8 (4) One member who serves on the House Committee on Health and
9 Welfare, to be selected by the chairman.
10 (5) One member who serves on the House Committee on Municipal,
11 Parochial and Cultural Affairs, to be selected by the chairman.
12 (6) One member who serves on the House Committee on Education, to
13 be selected by the chairman.
14 C. The duties of the commission shall be to engage an effort at the local
15 level to:
16 (1) Address key gaps in current obesity prevention by understanding
17 what works in multi-system approaches to obesity, and how these approaches
18 can be implemented through community-led change strategies.
19 (2) Align obesity prevention activities at the local level based on a local
20 agenda.
21 (3) Engage community partners to disseminate and implement
22 evidence-based obesity prevention strategies.
23 (4) Facilitate communication that unites Louisiana local elected officials
24 with their local schools, businesses, organizations, and community members to
25 demonstrate their collective commitment to fighting obesity.
26 (5) Bring awareness to resources that are already available to
27 communities but underutilized, such as joint use agreements provided for in
28 R.S. 9:2800.22.
29 (6) Facilitate information sharing and access to enable local elected
30 officials to engage existing programs that promote physical activity.
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1 (7) Foster a healthy competition with similar-size communities
2 throughout Louisiana.
3 (8) Partner with private entities who support, promote, or administer
4 obesity prevention programs that focus on physical activity and seek funds or
5 donated prizes from those entities to reward community health effort winners.
6 (9) Dedicate the second Monday of the legislative session during any
7 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature as "WON Louisiana Day" at the
8 state capitol.
9 (10) Recognize local elected officials and their cities who are the most
10 involved in getting their communities to be more physically active at an award
11 ceremony at the Louisiana State Capitol.
12 D. The commission may hold public hearings as part of carrying out its
13 duties. The chairman may call a hearing at a time and location deemed
14 appropriate to best engage with the local elected officials. Notice shall be issued
15 to all legislators representing an area of the state in which the commission shall
16 meet if the chairman calls a hearing in a location outside of the state capitol. No
17 legislator shall receive per diem or mileage reimbursement for attending any
18 commission meeting held when the legislature is not in session or for attending
19 any commission meeting held at a location other than the state capitol.
20 §113. Staff support; agency cooperation and assistance
21 A. The staff of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare shall
22 provide support and assist the commission as requested by the chairman.
23 B. Each agency and political subdivision shall furnish aid, services, and
24 assistance as requested by the commission.
25 §114. Termination of Part
26 Unless reauthorized by the legislature, the provisions of this Part shall
27 expire on July 1, 2020, and this Part is deemed repealed on that date.
28 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
29 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
30 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
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1 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
2 effective on the day following such approval.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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