| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to physical activity requirements for students in public |
|
|
schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 28.002(l), Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(l) A school district shall require a student enrolled in |
|
|
kindergarten or a grade level below grade six to participate in |
|
|
moderate or vigorous daily physical activity for at least 30 |
|
|
minutes throughout the school year as part of the district's |
|
|
physical education curriculum or through structured activity |
|
|
during a school campus's daily recess. A school district shall |
|
|
require a student [students] enrolled in grade level [levels] six, |
|
|
seven, or [and] eight to participate in moderate or vigorous daily |
|
|
physical activity for at least 30 minutes throughout the school |
|
|
year [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. 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 must |
|
|
provide for an exemption for: |
|
|
(1) any student who is unable to participate in the |
|
|
required 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. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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, 2009. |