S.B. No. 530
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to physical activity requirements and physical fitness
  assessment for certain public school students.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsections (l) and (l-1), Section 28.002,
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (l)  A school district shall [The State Board of Education,
  after consulting with educators, parents, and medical
  professionals, by rule may] require a student enrolled in
  kindergarten or a grade level below grade six [nine] to participate
  in moderate or vigorous daily physical activity for at least 30
  minutes throughout the school year as part of the [a school]
  district's physical education curriculum or through structured
  activity during a school campus's daily recess[, except that the
  board may not require more than 30 minutes of daily physical
  activity].  A school district shall require students enrolled in
  grade levels six, seven, and eight to participate in moderate or
  vigorous daily physical activity for at least 30 minutes for at
  least four semesters during those grade levels as part of the
  district's physical education curriculum.  If a school district
  determines, for any particular grade level below grade six, that
  requiring moderate or vigorous daily physical activity is
  impractical due to scheduling concerns or other factors, the
  district may as an alternative require a student in that grade level
  to participate in moderate or vigorous physical activity for at
  least 135 minutes during each school week [the board adopts rules
  under this subsection, the board must ensure by rule that students
  enrolled in middle and junior high school settings are allowed to
  meet the physical activity requirement by participating in physical
  activity twice each week throughout the school year or the option to
  schedule at least two semesters overall].  Additionally, a school
  district may as an alternative require a student enrolled in a grade
  level for which the district uses block scheduling to participate
  in moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least 225 minutes
  during each period of two school weeks.  A school district [If the
  board adopts rules under this subsection, the board] must provide
  for an exemption for:
               (1)  any student who is unable to participate in the
  required [daily] physical activity because of illness or
  disability; and
               (2)  a middle school or junior high school student who
  participates in an extracurricular activity with a moderate or
  vigorous physical activity component that is considered a
  structured activity under rules adopted by the commissioner [State
  Board of Education].
         (l-1)  In adopting rules relating to an activity described by
  Subsection (l)(2), the commissioner [State Board of Education] may
  permit an exemption for a student who participates in a
  school-related activity or an activity sponsored by a private
  league or club only if the student provides proof of participation
  in the activity.
         SECTION 2.  Section 28.004, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (k) and adding Subsection (l) to read as
  follows:
         (k)  A school district shall publish in the student handbook
  and post on the district's Internet website, if the district has an
  Internet website:
               (1)  a statement of the policies adopted to ensure that
  elementary school, middle school, and junior high school students
  engage in at least the amount and level [30 minutes per school day
  or 135 minutes per school week] of physical activity required by
  Section 28.002(l); [and]
               (2)  a statement of:
                     (A)  the number of times during the preceding year
  the district's school health advisory council has met;
                     (B)  whether the district has adopted and enforces
  policies to ensure that district campuses comply with agency
  vending machine and food service guidelines for restricting student
  access to vending machines; and
                     (C)  whether the district has adopted and enforces
  policies and procedures that prescribe penalties for the use of
  tobacco products by students and others on school campuses or at
  school-sponsored or school-related activities; and
               (3)  a statement providing notice to parents that they
  can request in writing their child's physical fitness assessment
  results at the end of the school year.
         (l)  The local school health advisory council shall consider
  and make policy recommendations to the district concerning the
  importance of daily recess for elementary school students.  The
  council must consider research regarding unstructured and
  undirected play, academic and social development, and the health
  benefits of daily recess in making the recommendations.  The
  council shall ensure that local community values are reflected in
  any policy recommendation made to the district under this
  subsection.
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter C to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER C.  PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT
         Sec. 38.101.  ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.  (a)  Except as provided
  by Subsection (b), a school district annually shall assess the
  physical fitness of students enrolled in grades 3 through 12.
         (b)  A school district is not required to assess a student
  for whom, as a result of disability or other condition identified by
  commissioner rule, the assessment instrument adopted under Section
  38.102 is inappropriate.
         Sec. 38.102.  ADOPTION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT.  (a)  The
  commissioner by rule shall adopt an assessment instrument to be
  used by a school district in assessing student physical fitness
  under this subchapter.
         (b)  The assessment instrument must:
               (1)  be based on factors related to student health,
  including the following factors that have been identified as
  essential to overall health and function:
                     (A)  aerobic capacity;
                     (B)  body composition; and
                     (C)  muscular strength, endurance, and
  flexibility; and
               (2)  include criterion-referenced standards specific
  to a student's age and gender and based on the physical fitness
  level required for good health.
         Sec. 38.103.  REPORTING OF SUMMARY RESULTS.  (a)  A school
  district shall compile the results of the physical fitness
  assessment required by this subchapter and provide summary results,
  aggregated by grade level and any other appropriate category
  identified by commissioner rule, to the agency.  The summary
  results may not contain the names of individual students or
  teachers.
         (b)  The results of individual student performance on the
  physical fitness assessment instrument are confidential and may be
  released only in accordance with state and federal law.
         Sec. 38.104.  ANALYSIS OF RESULTS.  (a)  The agency shall
  analyze the results received by the agency under this subchapter
  and identify, for each school district, any correlation between the
  results and the following:
               (1)  student academic achievement levels;
               (2)  student attendance levels;
               (3)  student obesity;
               (4)  student disciplinary problems; and
               (5)  school meal programs.
         (b)  The agency may contract with a public or private entity
  for that entity to conduct all or part of the analysis required by
  Subsection (a).
         (c)  Not later than September 1 of each year, the agency
  shall report the findings of the analysis under this section of the
  results obtained during the preceding school year to the School
  Health Advisory Committee established under Section 1001.0711,
  Health and Safety Code, for use by the committee in:
               (1)  assessing the effectiveness of coordinated health
  programs provided by school districts in accordance with Section
  38.014; and
               (2)  developing recommendations for modifications to
  coordinated health program requirements or related curriculum.
         Sec. 38.105.  DONATIONS.  The agency and each school
  district may accept donations made to facilitate implementation of
  this subchapter.
         Sec. 38.106.  RULES.  The commissioner shall adopt rules
  necessary to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 4.  Not later than September 1, 2008, the Texas
  Education Agency, in consultation with the School Health Advisory
  Committee established under Section 1001.0711, Health and Safety
  Code, shall provide a report to the legislature that details
  options and recommendations for providing moderate or vigorous
  daily physical activity for students for at least 30 minutes
  outside the seven-hour instructional day.  The options and
  recommendations must be developed with consideration for the needs
  of students who are enrolled in multiple enrichment curriculum
  courses.
         SECTION 5.  The commissioner of education shall adopt the
  physical fitness assessment instrument required under Subchapter
  C, Chapter 38, Education Code, as added by this Act, and rules
  necessary to implement that subchapter not later than the date that
  enables the instrument to be used by school districts during the
  2007-2008 school year.
         SECTION 6.  Notwithstanding Section 11, Chapter 784, Acts of
  the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, Section 38.014,
  Education Code, as amended by that Act, applies beginning with the
  2007-2008 school year.
         SECTION 7.  Subsection (l), Section 28.002, Education Code,
  as amended by this Act, applies to students enrolled in
  kindergarten or a grade level below grade six beginning with the
  2007-2008 school year and to students enrolled in grade levels six
  through eight beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.
         SECTION 8.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
  Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.  This Act
  shall apply to junior high or middle schools only upon adoption of a
  coordinated school health program for these grades by the Texas
  Education Agency.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 530 passed the Senate on
  April 11, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 1;
  May 25, 2007, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and
  requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 26, 2007, House
  granted request of the Senate; May 27, 2007, Senate adopted
  Conference Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 28,
  Nays 2.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 530 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 23, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 138,
  Nays 8, one present not voting; May 26, 2007, House granted request
  of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
  May 28, 2007, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
  following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 4, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
             Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor