By Capelo H.B. No. 2647 77R7362 CAS-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a pilot program of nutrition, preventative health care, 1-3 and physical activity for certain public school students. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Section 38.013 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 38.013. "FOOD FOR THOUGHT" PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The 1-8 agency, in consultation with child development experts at Texas A&M 1-9 University--Corpus Christi, the Texas Department of Health, and at 1-10 least one expert in the field of child nutrition, health, or 1-11 physical education selected by the commissioner, shall implement 1-12 and administer the "Food for Thought" pilot program, an 1-13 interdisciplinary nutrition, preventative health care, and physical 1-14 activity program designed to build lifelong healthy habits in 1-15 children in grades four, five, and six. 1-16 (b) The program must emphasize the importance of: 1-17 (1) decreasing the consumption of food that is high in 1-18 fat and increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables; and 1-19 (2) decreasing the time spent in watching television 1-20 or other sedentary activities and increasing the time spent in 1-21 physical activity. 1-22 (c) The program shall be conducted for students in grades 1-23 four, five, and six in schools selected by experts in child 1-24 development at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi. In selecting 2-1 schools to participate in the program, the experts from the 2-2 university shall select schools that: 2-3 (1) have a high percentage of obese students in the 2-4 grade levels for which the program is designed; and 2-5 (2) are located near the university so that university 2-6 students can assist in the program. 2-7 (d) The program may include: 2-8 (1) classroom lessons, including lessons integrated 2-9 into the regular curriculum; 2-10 (2) written materials; 2-11 (3) promotional campaigns on nutrition and physical 2-12 activity; 2-13 (4) efforts to involve the parents of student 2-14 participants; and 2-15 (5) reinforcement activities in the school cafeteria, 2-16 during physical education classes, and outside of school. 2-17 (e) A school in which the program operates may not be 2-18 required to employ additional personnel for purposes of the 2-19 program. 2-20 (f) This section expires July 31, 2005. 2-21 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-22 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-23 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-24 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-25 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.