08 LC 33
2643S
The House Committee on Health and Human Services offers the following substitute
to SB 506:
to SB 506:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to the health of students in elementary and
secondary education, so as to enact the "Student Health and Physical Education
Act"; to require local school systems to conduct a fitness assessment program
and to comply with state physical education instruction requirements; to provide
for reporting of results; to provide for public inspection of such results; to
establish a position within the Department of Education to coordinate activities
relating to physical education; to designate unhealthy school systems under
certain conditions; to provide for a recognition program established by the
Governor to acknowledge healthy school systems and schools; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
This
Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Health and Physical
Education Act" or "SHAPE Act."
SECTION
2.
Part
3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the health of students in elementary and secondary
education, is amended by adding new a Code section to read as
follows:
"20-2-775.
(a)(1)
Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, each local school system shall conduct a
fitness assessment program, as approved by the State Board of Education, one
time each school year for students in kindergarten through grade five during a
physical education course. Such fitness assessment program shall include
instruments to assess student fitness, student physical activity, school
physical education, and school nutrition services programs; provided, however,
that the fitness assessment program shall not include body mass index testing.
Each local school system shall report the results of the fitness assessment
program by school to the coordinator designated in subsection (b) of this Code
section in accordance with a schedule established by the State Board of
Education. A local school system shall make a student´s individual fitness
assessment results available only to such student´s parent or guardian upon
request.
(2)
Each local school system shall be required to provide at least the minimum
instruction in physical education prescribed by the state board in rules and
regulations established pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section
20-2-142.
(b)
The state board shall designate a position in the Department of Education,
staffed by a person certified in physical education, to coordinate physical
education and fitness activities and requirements. In addition to any other
duties and functions assigned by the state board, such coordinator shall
specifically be charged with implementing the provisions of this Code section.
The coordinator shall collect and disseminate to local school systems best
practices in the areas of student health and physical education. The
coordinator shall be acknowledged publicly to allow for ease of parent and
public contact and information sharing. This position may be supported with
state, federal, or private funding or a combination thereof.
(c)
The state board, through the coordinator designated pursuant to subsection (b)
of this Code section, shall collect the results of the fitness assessment
program submitted by local school systems pursuant to subsection (a) of this
Code section and quantify the health status of each local school system. The
department shall include the results and the health status of each local school
system and its schools which are subject to paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of
this Code section on its website for public inspection. A local school system
which does not submit the results required in subsection (a) of this Code
section or does not provide at least the minimum instruction in physical
education referenced in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section
shall be designated by the state board as an 'unhealthy school zone' or similar
designation.
(d)
The state board shall submit an annual report to the Governor, beginning July 1,
2009, and annually thereafter. Such report shall include the health status of
each local school system and each school. The Governor may establish one or
more recognition programs to acknowledge local school systems and schools which
have most improved their health status. The Governor may collaborate with
private corporations in the development and implementation of recognition
programs pursuant to this subsection, including providing monetary or other
incentives to school systems or schools for attaining certain levels of health
status."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.