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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to physical activity requirements and physical fitness |
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assessment for certain public school students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 28.002(l) and (l-1), Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(l) A school district shall [The State Board of Education,
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after consulting with educators, parents, and medical
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professionals, by rule may] require a student enrolled in |
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kindergarten or a grade level below grade nine to participate in |
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moderate or vigorous daily physical activity for at least 30 |
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minutes as part of a school district's physical education |
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curriculum [or through structured activity during a school campus's
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daily recess, except that the board may not require more than 30
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minutes of daily physical activity]. If a school district |
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determines, for any particular grade level, that requiring moderate |
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or vigorous daily physical activity is impractical due to |
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scheduling concerns or other factors, the district may as an |
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alternative require a student in that grade level to participate in |
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moderate or vigorous physical activity for at least 135 minutes |
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during each school week [the board adopts rules under this
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subsection, the board must ensure by rule that students enrolled in
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middle and junior high school settings are allowed to meet the
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physical activity requirement by participating in physical
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activity twice each week throughout the school year or the option to
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schedule at least two semesters overall]. A school district [If the
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board adopts rules under this subsection, the board] must provide |
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for an exemption for: |
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(1) any student who is unable to participate in the |
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required [daily] physical activity because of illness or |
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disability; and |
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(2) a middle school or junior high school student who |
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participates in an extracurricular activity with a moderate or |
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vigorous physical activity component that is considered a |
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structured activity under rules adopted by the commissioner [State
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Board of Education]. |
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(l-1) In adopting rules relating to an activity described by |
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Subsection (l)(2), the commissioner [State Board of Education] may |
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permit an exemption for a student who participates in a |
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school-related activity or an activity sponsored by a private |
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league or club only if the student provides proof of participation |
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in the activity. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.004(k), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(k) A school district shall publish in the student handbook |
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and post on the district's Internet website, if the district has an |
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Internet website: |
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(1) a statement of the policies adopted to ensure that |
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elementary school, middle school, and junior high school students |
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engage in at least the amount and level [30 minutes per school day
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or 135 minutes per school week] of physical activity required by |
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Section 28.002(l); and |
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(2) a statement of: |
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(A) the number of times during the preceding year |
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the district's school health advisory council has met; |
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(B) whether the district has adopted and enforces |
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policies to ensure that district campuses comply with agency |
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vending machine and food service guidelines for restricting student |
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access to vending machines; and |
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(C) whether the district has adopted and enforces |
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policies and procedures that prescribe penalties for the use of |
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tobacco products by students and others on school campuses or at |
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school-sponsored or school-related activities. |
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SECTION 3. Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter C to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER C. PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT |
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Sec. 38.101. ASSESSMENT REQUIRED. (a) Except as provided |
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by Subsection (b), a school district shall assess the physical |
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fitness of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. The |
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assessment must be conducted twice during each school year, with |
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one assessment conducted during the fall semester and one |
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assessment conducted during the spring semester. |
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(b) A school district is not required to assess a student |
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for whom, as a result of disability or other condition identified by |
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commissioner rule, the assessment instrument adopted under Section |
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38.102 is inappropriate. |
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Sec. 38.102. ADOPTION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT. (a) The |
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commissioner by rule shall adopt an assessment instrument to be |
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used by a school district in assessing student physical fitness |
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under this subchapter. |
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(b) The assessment instrument must: |
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(1) be based on factors related to student health, |
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including the following factors that have been identified as |
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essential to overall health and function: |
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(A) aerobic capacity; |
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(B) body composition; and |
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(C) muscular strength, endurance, and |
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flexibility; and |
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(2) include criterion-referenced standards specific |
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to a student's age and gender and based on the physical fitness |
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level required for good health. |
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Sec. 38.103. REPORTING OF SUMMARY RESULTS. (a) A school |
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district shall compile the results of the physical fitness |
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assessment required by this subchapter and provide summary results, |
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aggregated by grade level and any other appropriate category |
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identified by commissioner rule, to the agency. The summary |
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results may not contain the names of individual students or |
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teachers. |
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(b) The results of individual student performance on the |
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physical fitness assessment instrument are confidential and may be |
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released only in accordance with state and federal law. |
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Sec. 38.104. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS. (a) The agency shall |
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analyze the results received by the agency under this subchapter |
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and identify, for each school district, any correlation between the |
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results and the following: |
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(1) student academic achievement levels; |
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(2) student attendance levels; |
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(3) student obesity; |
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(4) student disciplinary problems; and |
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(5) school meal programs. |
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(b) The agency may contract with a public or private entity |
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for that entity to conduct all or part of the analysis required by |
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Subsection (a). |
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(c) Not later than September 1 of each year, the agency |
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shall report the findings of the analysis under this section of the |
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results obtained during the preceding school year to the School |
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Health Advisory Committee established under Section 1001.0711, |
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Health and Safety Code, for use by the committee in: |
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(1) assessing the effectiveness of coordinated health |
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programs provided by school districts in accordance with Section |
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38.014; and |
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(2) developing recommendations for modifications to |
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coordinated health program requirements or related curriculum. |
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Sec. 38.105. DONATIONS. The agency and each school |
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district may accept donations made to facilitate implementation of |
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this subchapter. |
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Sec. 38.106. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules |
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necessary to implement this subchapter. |
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SECTION 4. The commissioner of education shall adopt the |
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physical fitness assessment instrument required under Subchapter |
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C, Chapter 38, Education Code, as added by this Act, and rules |
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necessary to implement that subchapter not later than the date that |
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enables the instrument to be used by school districts during the |
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2007-2008 school year. |
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SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |