SLS 23RS-748 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 84
BY SENATOR FRED MILLS
CHILDREN. Creates the Year-Round Healthy Child Task Force.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To create and provide for the Year-Round Healthy Child Task Force within the Louisiana
3 Department of Health.
4 WHEREAS, childhood is a critical period of growth and development and a child's
5 experiences, behaviors, and health problems can have long-term impacts; and
6 WHEREAS, protecting and improving the health, safety, and well-being of children
7 is of fundamental importance; and
8 WHEREAS, to grow and develop optimally, children need adequate nutrition, they
9 need to be healthy, they must feel safe and secure, and they must have opportunities for
10 learning; and
11 WHEREAS, it is essential that children learn healthy habits, such as handwashing,
12 getting sufficient sleep, and eating nutritious meals; and
13 WHEREAS, Louisiana was deemed one of the worst states for child well-being in
14 the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2022 Kids Count Data Book, which ranked Louisiana forty-
15 nine out of fifty in child well-being based on economic well-being, education, health, family,
16 and community; and
17 WHEREAS, exercise is essential, no matter the season, to help children maintain
18 strong muscles and bones, build cardiovascular strength, reduce the risk of obesity and type
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1 2 diabetes, and improve mental health; and
2 WHEREAS, winter brings shorter, colder days and, typically, much more time spent
3 indoors doing sedentary activities; and
4 WHEREAS, a recent study among children six to nine years of age showed that
5 physical activity dropped by fifty-three percent during the summer months; and
6 WHEREAS, declines in physical activity can have adverse effects on children's
7 health with excess weight gain leading to obesity and poorer metabolic, cardiovascular,
8 respiratory, and mental health for children, making physical activity all year long critical for
9 children's health; and
10 WHEREAS, according to the National Survey of Children's Health, over thirty-seven
11 percent of children in Louisiana are overweight or obese; and
12 WHEREAS, one of the greatest impediments to physical activity is lack of access to
13 quality recreational spaces and facilities; and
14 WHEREAS, all across the United States, communities are using the power of a joint
15 use agreement to provide public access to indoor and outdoor school facilities during
16 non-school hours; and
17 WHEREAS, children can face a lot of stressful situations every day, including
18 homework, tests, and social pressures, and research shows that stress and anxiety can have
19 a negative impact on their health, just like it can on the health of adults; and
20 WHEREAS, in 2019, according to the National Survey of Children's Health, almost
21 seventy-eight percent of children in Louisiana needed mental health care; and
22 WHEREAS, making sure children get enough sleep is a crucial part of keeping them
23 healthy and lack of sleep can lead to poor concentration, obesity, depression, suicidal
24 ideation, and injuries; and
25 WHEREAS, in 2018, according to the National Survey of Children's Health, over
26 half of Louisiana children did not receive the recommended number of hours of sleep; and
27 WHEREAS, Louisiana consistently faces some of the highest rates of hunger in the
28 country particularly amongst children and seniors; and
29 WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, one in six
30 Louisiana households struggles to put food on the table; and
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1 WHEREAS, Feeding America estimates that one in four Louisiana children live in
2 households that are food insecure, and in several rural parishes one-third of children are food
3 insecure; and
4 WHEREAS, children's access to health care is critical and can influence children's
5 physical and emotional health, growth, and development and their capacity to reach their full
6 potential as adults; and
7 WHEREAS, all children are at increased risk of developing preventable conditions
8 if appropriate care is not provided when they are sick or injured and their lives and the lives
9 of their families can be affected for many years; and
10 WHEREAS, Medicaid was the greatest source of health insurance coverage for
11 Louisiana children in 2019, covering over fifty-one percent and providing access to hospital
12 care, doctor visits, prescription drugs, medicine, and more; and
13 WHEREAS, strategies focused on children's health and safety throughout the year
14 in early childhood education programs, at school, and in their families and neighborhoods
15 can help improve health outcomes for children; and
16 WHEREAS, investing in the health and well-being of Louisiana children is one of
17 the most important things this state can do to build a better future.
18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
19 does hereby establish and provide for the Year-Round Healthy Child Task Force, within the
20 Louisiana Department of Health, to study ways to protect and improve the health, safety, and
21 well-being of Louisiana children throughout the entire year.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force should include consideration of
23 ways to improve and protect the physical and mental health of Louisiana children by
24 adapting local and state policies and procedures to increase access to necessary and
25 preventative health care, good nutrition, and beneficial exercise throughout the entire
26 calendar year.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the following
28 members:
29 (1) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, or his designee.
30 (2) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, or his designee.
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1 (3) The director of the Louisiana Department of Health, bureau of minority health
2 access, or his designee.
3 (4) The state Medicaid director, or his designee.
4 (5) The assistant secretary of family support of the Department of Children and
5 Family Services, or his designee.
6 (6) The president of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary
7 Education, or his designee.
8 (7) The executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, or his
9 designee.
10 (8) The president of the Louisiana Hospital Association, or his designee.
11 (9) The executive director of the Louisiana Rural Health Association, or his designee.
12 (10) The executive director of the Louisiana Medicaid Managed Care Organization
13 Association, or his designee.
14 (11) The executive director of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, or his
15 designee.
16 (12) The executive director of the Louisiana Municipal Association, or his designee.
17 (13) A healthcare provider with experience in treating children, appointed by the
18 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the
20 names of designees to the task force to the Louisiana Department of Health no later than
21 August 1, 2023.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall convene for its first meeting no
23 later than September 1, 2023, at the call of the secretary of the Louisiana Department of
24 Health, and at the first meeting, the members shall elect a chairman and other officers as the
25 task force may deem appropriate.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting this study the task force will seek
27 input and advice from the following:
28 (1) Healthcare professionals with experience in treating children, including but not
29 limited to pediatricians, family practitioners, and nurses.
30 (2) Mental health professionals with experience in treating children, including but
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1 not limited to child psychologists, social workers, and school counselors.
2 (3) Education professionals, including but not limited to teachers and principals.
3 (4) Public, private, and charitable organizations with experience in addressing the
4 health, safety, and well-being of Louisiana children.
5 (5) Parents and other caregivers of children.
6 (6) Any other interested stakeholder.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the task force shall constitute a
8 quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the task force shall require the
9 affirmative vote of a majority of the members.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
11 without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be
12 individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall provide a written report of
14 findings and recommendations, including any specific proposals for legislation, to the Senate
15 Committee on Health and Welfare, and to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library
16 as required by R.S. 24:771 and 772, no later than February 1, 2024.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate on the date of the
18 submission of its report or February 1, 2024, whichever occurs first.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
20 Senate Health and Welfare Committee, the Senate Education Committee, the Louisiana
21 Department of Health, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Louisiana State
22 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Pennington Biomedical Research Center,
23 the Louisiana Hospital Association, the Louisiana Rural Health Association, the Louisiana
24 Medicaid Managed Care Organization Association, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana,
25 and the Louisiana Municipal Association.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Brandi Cannon.
DIGEST
SR 84 Original 2023 Regular Session Fred Mills
Creates the Year-Round Healthy Child Task Force to study ways to protect and improve the
health, safety, and well-being of Louisiana children throughout the entire year.
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