House File 418

                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  FOEGE

                                       (COMPANION TO SF 175
                                        BY BOLKCOM)


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the collection and maintenance of obesity=
  2    related data by the Iowa department of public health and
  3    participating elementary and secondary schools.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2578HH 80
  6 kh/sh/8

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  Section 135.11, Code 2003, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  30.  Establish a program to collect and
  1  4 maintain data on the height, weight, and body mass index of
  1  5 students attending participating elementary and secondary
  1  6 schools in the state.  The department, in consultation with
  1  7 the department of education, shall do all of the following:
  1  8    a.  Recruit schools that are interested in determining and
  1  9 tracking the prevalence of overweight students in the schools'
  1 10 student population.  Except as otherwise provided in this
  1 11 paragraph, a participating school must agree to weigh and
  1 12 measure all students enrolled in the school to ensure the
  1 13 accuracy and validity of the data collected and reported.  A
  1 14 student shall not be weighed and measured if the student's
  1 15 parent or guardian files with the appropriate principal a
  1 16 written request that the student be excused from participating
  1 17 in the program.
  1 18    b.  Provide technical assistance to schools to implement
  1 19 the program.  Technical assistance shall include identifying
  1 20 appropriate equipment and techniques to use when weighing and
  1 21 measuring students.  The weighing and measuring of students
  1 22 shall be done under sanitary conditions and with regard for
  1 23 the privacy of the student in a location at the school in
  1 24 which other persons are not present.
  1 25    c.  Develop a system of numerical and alpha identifiers to
  1 26 allow for reporting data by school, school district, and
  1 27 county.  The data shall be maintained by the school, school
  1 28 district, and the department in a manner that prevents the
  1 29 individual identification of any students.
  1 30    d.  Enter data electronically into the federal centers for
  1 31 disease control and prevention's pediatric nutrition
  1 32 surveillance system.
  1 33                           EXPLANATION
  1 34    This bill directs the Iowa department of public health to
  1 35 establish a program to collect and maintain data on the
  2  1 height, weight, and body mass index of students attending
  2  2 elementary and secondary schools that voluntarily participate
  2  3 in the program.
  2  4    The department must recruit the schools in consultation
  2  5 with the department of education; provide technical assistance
  2  6 to participating schools; develop numerical and alpha
  2  7 identifiers, yet protect the individual identity of students;
  2  8 and enter data electronically into the federal centers for
  2  9 disease control and prevention's pediatric nutrition
  2 10 surveillance system.
  2 11    A participating school must agree to weigh and measure all
  2 12 students enrolled in the school under sanitary conditions and
  2 13 with regard for the privacy of each student.  However, a
  2 14 student is excused from participation in the program if the
  2 15 student's parent files with the principal a written request to
  2 16 excuse the student.
  2 17 LSB 2578HH 80
  2 18 kh/sh/8