HLS 24RS-2860 ENGROSSED
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 72
BY REPRESENTATIVES LAFLEUR, BRASS, CARPENTER, CARVER, FREIBERG,
SCHLEGEL, TAYLOR, AND YOUNG
SCHOOLS: Creates a task force and requests the State Department of Education to study
and report relative to school start times
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To create a task force and urge and request the State Department of Education to conduct a
3 comprehensive study on school start times and submit written reports of findings and
4 recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee
5 on Education not later than February 1, 2025.
6 WHEREAS, sufficient sleep is essential for the healthy development and daily
7functioning of children and adolescents, and emerging research suggests that later school
8start times promote better sleep hygiene, which leads to improved health, academic
9performance, graduation rates, school attendance, behavior, and overall well-being among
10students; and
11 WHEREAS, a significant number of schools and school districts in Louisiana suffer
12from high rates of truancy and chronic absenteeism and low academic achievement; and
13 WHEREAS, adjusting school start times to align more closely with adolescents'
14natural sleep is an evidence-based strategy to improve attendance rates, enhance students'
15ability to learn, and contribute to the overall success and welfare of Louisiana's youth; and
16 WHEREAS, research demonstrates that the majority of adolescents are sleep
17deprived at school, that the natural biological rhythms of adolescents are a poor fit with early
18school start times, and that most adolescents get their best sleep between 11:00 p.m. and
198:00 a.m.; and
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HCR NO. 72
1 WHEREAS, many national organizations, such as the American Academy of
2Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
3Prevention, recommend later school start times, particularly for middle school and high
4school students; and
5 WHEREAS, the need to start the high school day later is a public health concern;
6sleep loss in adolescents has been associated with increased risk of obesity, eating disorders,
7and cardiovascular morbidity, which are likely to lead to increasingly poor health and mental
8instability as adolescents progress to adulthood; and
9 WHEREAS, additionally, research identifies numerous consequences and impacts
10on adolescent brain development associated with sleep deprivation, including lack of
11attention to learning tasks, poor retention of information taught, low grades, increased risk
12of automobile accidents, increased disciplinary problems, impaired judgment, increased
13suicidal thinking, increased levels of anxiety and depression, decreased motivation,
14increased substance abuse, and other negative consequences; and
15 WHEREAS, the community can support parents and families to ensure that
16adolescents get appropriate sleep by adjusting school schedules; even small changes to
17school start times can result in significant improvements to student health and academic
18performance; and
19 WHEREAS, school districts have flexibility in setting calendars and school start
20times and would benefit from an analysis of how later school start times may benefit
21students, including research on best practices from other states; and
22 WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the impact of school start times on student health
23and performance receive a thorough evaluation.
24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
25create a task force and urge and request the state Department of Education to conduct a
26comprehensive study on school start times and submit written reports of findings and
27recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
28Education not later than February 1, 2025.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
30following members:
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1 (1) The state superintendent of education or his designee.
2 (2) The president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or his
3designee.
4 (3) One member appointed by the chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area
5Chamber.
6 (4) One member appointed by the president of the Council for a Better Louisiana.
7 (5) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Association of Business
8and Industry.
9 (6) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Association of
10Educators.
11 (7) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana District
12Attorneys Association.
13 (8) One member appointed by the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
14 (9) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana School Boards
15Association.
16 (10) One member appointed by the executive director of the Louisiana School
17Superintendents Association.
18 (11) One member appointed by the president of the Public Affairs Research Council
19of Louisiana.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the member appointed by the chief executive
21officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber shall chair the task force and shall call the first
22meeting no later than August 30, 2024.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force and department shall
24simultaneously do the following:
25 (1) Evaluate school start times across the state with a particular focus on middle and
26high schools.
27 (2) Assess potential benefits and challenges associated with later school start times,
28including impacts on student achievement, truancy, chronic absenteeism, and student health
29and well-being.
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HCR NO. 72
1 (3) Examine the scientific evidence regarding adolescent sleep needs and the impact
2of school start times on sleep.
3 (4) Explore the logistical, financial, and community implications of adjusting school
4start times.
5 (5) Engage and consult with stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and
6community members, to gather diverse perspectives and insights on the issue.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force's and department's reports shall
8respectively include a comprehensive overview of findings, recommendations for potential
9adjustments to school start times, and proposed strategies for implementing any
10recommended changes and shall address potential challenges and outline steps for successful
11transition.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
13president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
14superintendent of education.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 72 Engrossed 2024 Regular Session LaFleur
Creates a task force and requests the state Dept. of Education to study school start times and
submit written reports of findings and recommendations to the House and Senate education
committees not later than Feb. 1, 2025.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original resolution:
1. Create a task force to study school start times and submit a written report to the
House and Senate education committees.
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