S.B. 1357 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1357 By: Nelson Public Health Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE S.B. 1357 establishes local school health advisory councils to coordinate health curriculum components in a coordinated school health program for the district. S.B. 1357 also requires school districts to make available information regarding weekly physical activity for elementary school students, the frequency with which each district's school health advisory committee has met, campus compliance with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) policy regarding vending machines and food services guidelines, and whether districts have adopted and enforced anti-tobacco policies. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Commissioner of Education in SECTION 3 (38.013, Education Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS S.B. 1357 Requires the board of trustees of each school district to establish a local school health advisory council, rather than local school health education advisory council, to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district's health education instruction. The bill provides that the local health advisor council's duties include making certain recommendation. S.B. 1357 requires a school district to make certain information available for reasonable public inspection. Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to make available to each school district one or more coordinated health programs designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes in elementary school students. Requires each program to provide for coordinating health education; physical education and physical activity; nutrition services; and parental involvement. The commissioner of education is required to adopt criteria for evaluating a coordinated health program before making the program available. Requires the commissioner, before adopting criteria, to request review and comment concerning the criteria from the Texas Department of Health's School Health Advisory Committee. Authorizes the commissioner to make available only those programs that meet criteria adopted under this subsection. Requires TEA to notify each school district of the availability of the programs. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003