House File 573 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY HEDDENS, SMITH, HOGG,
GASKILL, PETTENGILL,
J.R. VAN FOSSEN, HUNTER,
FOEGE, WESSEL=KROESCHELL,
KRESSIG, MILLER, FREVERT,
SCHUELLER, ZIRKELBACH,
SWAIM, JOCHUM, R. OLSON,
BERRY, MERTZ, COHOON, BELL,
KUHN, BUKTA, MURPHY, and
HEATON
(COMPANION TO LSB 2668SS
BY BOLKCOM)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, 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 2668HH 81
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. Overweight is the most common medical condition of
1 9 childhood, according to the American academy of pediatrics.
1 10 3. Iowa's overweight children are at high risk for
1 11 developing severe long=term health problems, including but not
1 12 limited to type 2 diabetes, high blood lipids, high blood
1 13 pressure, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, asthma, and
1 14 orthopedic problems. At current rates, one out of three
1 15 children born today will develop diabetes.
1 16 4. Overweight children also are often affected by
1 17 discrimination, psychological stress, and low self=esteem.
1 18 5. Twenty=five years ago, children drank twice as much
1 19 milk as soda. The situation is reversed today, with children
1 20 drinking twice as much soda as milk. Since milk is the
1 21 principal source of calcium, this loss of calcium jeopardizes
1 22 the forty percent peak bone mass accumulated during
1 23 adolescence, leading to increased risks of fractures and
1 24 osteoporosis.
1 25 6. Schools are a logical place to address the issues of
1 26 overweight and health in children through promotion of healthy
1 27 food and physical activity.
1 28 7. Increased emphasis on serving only healthy foods in
1 29 Iowa public schools can decrease and prevent overweight and
1 30 other diseases and improve the well=being of Iowa's children.
1 31 8. Encouraging Iowa's children to adopt healthy lifelong
1 32 eating habits and physical activity can increase their
1 33 productivity and reduce their risk of dying prematurely.
1 34 Sec. 2. HEALTH, FITNESS, AND NUTRITION TASK FORCE.
1 35 1. Consistent with the essential academic learning
2 1 requirements for health and fitness, including nutrition, the
2 2 Iowa department of education and the Iowa department of public
2 3 health shall convene a task force including representatives
2 4 from the Iowa dietetic association; the Iowa school nutrition
2 5 directors association; the Iowa association of school boards;
2 6 the Iowa medical association; the Iowa dental association; the
2 7 Iowa association for health, physical education, recreation,
2 8 and dance; the university of Iowa college of public health;
2 9 and the Iowa state university extension service to develop a
2 10 model policy regarding access to nutritious foods,
2 11 opportunities for physical activity, and accurate education
2 12 related to these topics. The policy shall set a minimum
2 13 standard for the nutritional content of foods and beverages
2 14 sold or provided throughout the school day or sold in
2 15 competition with the federal school food programs.
2 16 2. The Iowa department of education and the Iowa
2 17 department of public health shall submit the model policy
2 18 developed by the task force to the governor and the general
2 19 assembly and shall post the model policy on their internet
2 20 websites by January 1, 2006.
2 21 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
2 22 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
2 23 EXPLANATION
2 24 This bill states the findings and declarations of the
2 25 general assembly regarding the epidemic of childhood obesity
2 26 in Iowa, the related medical and emotional risks, and the
2 27 logical role for schools in addressing the issues of
2 28 overweight and health in children through healthy food and
2 29 physical activity.
2 30 The bill directs the Iowa department of education and the
2 31 Iowa department of public health to convene a task force
2 32 including representatives from the Iowa dietetic association;
2 33 the Iowa school nutrition directors association; the Iowa
2 34 association of school boards; the Iowa medical association;
2 35 the Iowa dental association; the Iowa association for health,
3 1 physical education, recreation, and dance; the university of
3 2 Iowa college of public health; and the Iowa state university
3 3 extension service to develop a model policy regarding access
3 4 to nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity, and
3 5 accurate education related to these topics; and which sets a
3 6 minimum standard for the nutritional content of foods and
3 7 beverages sold or provided throughout the school day.
3 8 The departments must submit the model policy to the
3 9 governor and the general assembly and post the model policy on
3 10 their internet websites by January 1, 2006.
3 11 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
3 12 LSB 2668HH 81
3 13 kh:rj/sh/8.1