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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to policies on the recess period in public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 28.004(l), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(l) The local school health advisory council shall consider |
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and make policy recommendations to the district concerning the |
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importance of daily recess for elementary school students. The |
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council must consider research regarding unstructured and |
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undirected play, academic and social development, and the health |
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benefits of daily recess and the model recess policies developed by |
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the Department of State Health Services School Health Advisory |
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Committee under Section 28.0047, in making the recommendations. |
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The council shall ensure that local community values are reflected |
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in any policy recommendation made to the district under this |
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subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 28.0047 and 28.0048 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0047. MODEL RECESS POLICIES. The Department of |
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State Health Services School Health Advisory Committee established |
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under Section 1001.0711, Health and Safety Code, shall develop |
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model policies for the recess period during the school day. The |
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model policies must include guidelines for: |
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(1) the number of minutes of weekly unstructured |
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playtime; and |
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(2) whether a student's recess time may be withheld as |
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a form of student discipline. |
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Sec. 28.0048. RECESS POLICY. (a) The board of trustees of |
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each school district shall: |
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(1) after reviewing the model recess policies |
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developed under Section 28.0047 and the policy recommendations of |
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the local school health advisory council provided under Section |
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28.004(l), adopt a recess policy; and |
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(2) review and, if necessary, revise the recess policy |
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at least every five years. |
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(b) The recess policy must specify: |
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(1) the required number of minutes of weekly |
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unstructured playtime; and |
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(2) whether a student's recess time may be withheld as |
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a form of student discipline. |
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(c) Each school district campus subject to the district |
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recess policy adopted under Subsection (a) shall implement the |
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recess policy. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2020, the |
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Department of State Health Services School Health Advisory |
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Committee shall develop model recess policies as required by |
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Section 28.0047, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than May 1, 2020, the board of trustees of each |
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school district shall adopt a recess policy as required by Section |
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28.0048, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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(c) Not later than the beginning of the 2020-2021 school |
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year, each school district campus subject to a school district |
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recess policy adopted under Section 28.0048, Education Code, as |
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added by this Act, shall implement the adopted policy. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2019. |
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