Senate File 79SENATE FILE BY BOLKCOM (COMPANION TO LSB 1642HH BY WESSEL=KROESCHELL) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to childhood obesity and foods and beverages sold 2 and served on public school campuses, providing for a task 3 force, and providing an effective date. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1642XS 82 6 kh/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The general assembly 1 2 finds and declares as follows: 1 3 1. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in Iowa 1 4 and throughout the nation as declared by the surgeon general 1 5 of the United States. The percentage of overweight children 1 6 has tripled in the last forty years from five percent to 1 7 fifteen percent. 1 8 2. Obesity is the most common health problem facing 1 9 children, according to the American academy of pediatrics. 1 10 The centers for disease control and prevention of the United 1 11 States department of health and human services finds that 1 12 thirty=one percent of low=income children between two and five 1 13 years of age in Iowa are overweight or at risk of becoming 1 14 overweight. 1 15 3. Iowa's overweight children are at high risk for 1 16 developing severe long=term health problems, including but not 1 17 limited to type 2 diabetes, high blood lipids, high blood 1 18 pressure, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, asthma, and 1 19 orthopedic problems. At current rates, one out of three 1 20 children born today will develop diabetes. 1 21 4. Overweight children also are often affected by 1 22 discrimination, psychological stress, and low self=esteem. 1 23 5. Twenty=five years ago, children drank twice as much 1 24 milk as soda. The situation is reversed today, with children 1 25 drinking twice as much soda as milk. Since milk is the 1 26 principal source of calcium, this loss of calcium jeopardizes 1 27 the forty percent peak bone mass accumulated during 1 28 adolescence, leading to increased risks of fractures and 1 29 osteoporosis. 1 30 6. Schools are a logical place to address the issues of 1 31 overweight and health in children through promotion of healthy 1 32 food and physical activity. 1 33 7. Increased emphasis on serving only healthy foods in 1 34 Iowa public schools can decrease and prevent overweight and 1 35 other diseases and improve the well=being of Iowa's children. 2 1 8. Encouraging Iowa's children to adopt healthy lifelong 2 2 eating habits and physical activity can increase their 2 3 productivity and reduce their risk of dying prematurely. 2 4 Sec. 2. HEALTH, FITNESS, AND NUTRITION TASK FORCE. 2 5 1. Consistent with the essential academic learning 2 6 requirements for health and fitness, including nutrition, the 2 7 department of education and the department of public health 2 8 shall convene a task force including representatives from the 2 9 Iowa dietetic association; the Iowa school nutrition directors 2 10 association; the Iowa association of school boards; the Iowa 2 11 medical association; the Iowa dental association; the Iowa 2 12 association for health, physical education, recreation, and 2 13 dance; the university of Iowa college of public health; and 2 14 the Iowa state university extension service to develop a model 2 15 policy regarding access to nutritious foods, opportunities for 2 16 physical activity, and accurate education related to these 2 17 topics. The policy shall set a minimum standard for the 2 18 nutritional content of foods and beverages sold or provided 2 19 throughout the school day or sold in competition with the 2 20 federal school food programs. 2 21 2. The department of education and the department of 2 22 public health shall submit the model policy developed by the 2 23 task force to the governor and the general assembly and shall 2 24 post the model policy on their internet websites by January 1, 2 25 2008. 2 26 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of 2 27 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 2 28 EXPLANATION 2 29 This bill states the findings and declarations of the 2 30 general assembly regarding the epidemic of childhood obesity 2 31 in Iowa, the related medical and emotional risks, and the 2 32 logical role for schools in addressing the issues of 2 33 overweight and health in children through healthy food and 2 34 physical activity. 2 35 The bill directs the department of education and the 3 1 department of public health to convene a task force including 3 2 representatives from the Iowa dietetic association; the Iowa 3 3 school nutrition directors association; the Iowa association 3 4 of school boards; the Iowa medical association; the Iowa 3 5 dental association; the Iowa association for health, physical 3 6 education, recreation, and dance; the university of Iowa 3 7 college of public health; and the Iowa state university 3 8 extension service to develop a model policy regarding access 3 9 to nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity, and 3 10 accurate education related to these topics; which model policy 3 11 sets a minimum standard for the nutritional content of foods 3 12 and beverages sold or provided throughout the school day. 3 13 The departments must submit the model policy to the 3 14 governor and the general assembly and post the model policy on 3 15 their internet websites by January 1, 2008. 3 16 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 3 17 LSB 1642XS 82 3 18 kh:rj/sh/8