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