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By: Lucio S.C.R. No. 49
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Childhood and adolescent obesity has reached
epidemic proportions among American youth; the American Obesity
Association revealed in 2000 that the incidence of obesity in
children and adolescents had quadrupled since 1971, with 15.3
percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 15.5 percent of adolescents
ages 12 to 19 identified as obese; and
WHEREAS, Even more alarming is the increasing prevalence of
overweight among the nation's children and adolescents, which is
commonly an indicator of potential health problems as an adult;
according to the same study by the American Obesity Association,
approximately 30.3 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 30.4 percent
of adolescents ages 12 to 19 are overweight, and overweight
children aged 10 to 14 with at least one overweight or obese parent
were reported to have a 79 percent likelihood of overweight
persisting into adulthood; and
WHEREAS, The potential lifelong consequences of this
epidemic are evidenced by the fact that overweight and obese
children are at higher risk for serious long-term health problems,
including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke,
hypertension, asthma, orthopedic complications, sleep apnea, gall
bladder disease, and certain cancers; the Texas Department of
Health reports that 62.4 percent of all deaths in Texas result from
four of these chronic diseases--heart disease, cancer, stroke, and
diabetes--each of which can be prevented through healthy habits
developed in childhood; and
WHEREAS, The school environment plays a critical role in
establishing a child's nutritional regimen and meeting a child's
dietary needs; indeed, a child who eats a school breakfast and lunch
that meet the nutritional standards established by the United
States Department of Agriculture for the national school breakfast
and national school lunch programs receives 60 percent of the
child's average daily nutritional needs; and
WHEREAS, Overweight and obesity are far-reaching problems
not unique to any one racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group; the
Texas Legislature has long recognized that the health of the State
of Texas depends on the health of its children and this latest
crisis merits its utmost attention; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study
nutrition in public schools, obesity-related and nutrition-related
diseases, a universal breakfast and lunch program, and competitive
food and vending machine contracts, revenues, and accountability of
revenues; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the interim committee be composed of the
following members: the commissioner of education, the commissioner
of public health, the commissioner of agriculture, three members of
the senate, appointed by the lieutenant governor, and three members
of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the
house of representatives; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the governor be invited to appoint members to
the committee with the request that such appointees include the
following: one member who is a physician who provides health
services to school-aged children, one member who has expertise in
nutrition, one member who is a parent of a school-aged child, and
one member who is a superintendent of schools or school principal;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the interim committee hold hearings
throughout the state during the interim of the 78th Legislature to:
(1) determine the nutritional content and quality of
foods and beverages served to public schoolchildren, including food
service meals, a la carte foods, and competitive foods and vending
machines;
(2) evaluate the short-term and long-term financial,
psychological, and physiological impact of obesity in public
schoolchildren;
(3) assess the academic, emotional, and health value
of a universal breakfast and lunch program by evaluating
schoolchildren from school districts that provide everyone a free
or reduced-price breakfast and lunch;
(4) evaluate school contracts relating to competitive
food products and vending machines to determine economic and other
impacts of potential conflicts of interest; the length of
contracts; advertising and marketing of competitive food products;
revenues realized by schools and school districts arising from the
sale of competitive food products; officials in charge of receiving
and disbursing revenue and the accounting of that revenue; and
losses sustained by each school district's food service program to
competitive foods; and
(5) consult with the School Health Advisory Council to
carry out its duties; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
committees as the 78th Legislature may adopt and that such rules and
policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the extent
of any conflict; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the interim committee submit a full report,
including findings and recommendations to the governor, the
lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
representatives not later than October 1, 2004.