Senate File 464 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 93) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the physical education requirements for grades 2 nine through twelve under the educational standards for school 3 districts and accredited nonpublic schools. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1697SV 82 6 kh/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 1 2 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2007, is amended to read as 1 3 follows: 1 4 All students physically able shall be required to 1 5 participate in physical education activities during each 1 6 semester they are enrolled in school except as otherwise 1 7 provided in this paragraph. For purposes of this paragraph, 1 8 "physical education activities" includes a minimum of one 1 9 hundred minutes per week of activities designed to increase 1 10 cardiovascular fitness. A minimum ofone=eighthone=quarter 1 11 unit each semester is required. A twelfth grade student who 1 12 meets the requirements of this paragraph may be excused from 1 13 the physical education requirement by the principal of the 1 14 school in which the student is enrolled if the parent or 1 15 guardian of the student requests in writing that the student 1 16 be excused from the physical education requirement. A student 1 17 who wishes to be excused from the physical education 1 18 requirement must be seeking to be excused in order to enroll 1 19 in academic courses not otherwise available to the student, or 1 20 be enrolled or participating in one of the following: 1 21 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 1 22 subparagraph (2), Code 2007, is amended to read as follows: 1 23 (2) An organized and supervised athletic program which 1 24 requires at least as much participation per week asone=eighth1 25 one=fourth unit of physical education. 1 26 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 1 27 unnumbered paragraph 2, Code 2007, is amended to read as 1 28 follows: 1 29 Students in grades nine through eleven may be excused from 1 30 the physical education requirement in order to enroll in 1 31 academic courses not otherwise available to the student if the 1 32 board of directors of the school district in which the school 1 33 is located, or the authorities in charge of the school, if the 1 34 school is a nonpublic school, determine that students from the 1 35 school may be permitted to be excused from the physical 2 1 education requirement. A student may be excused by the 2 2 principal of the school in which the student is enrolled, in 2 3 consultation with the student's counselor, for up to one 2 4 semester, trimester, or the equivalent of a semester or 2 5 trimester, per year if the parent or guardian of the student 2 6 requests in writing that the student be excused from the 2 7 physical education requirement. The student seeking to be 2 8 excused from the physical education requirement must, at some 2 9 time during the period for which the excuse is sought, be a 2 10 participant in an organized and supervised athletic program 2 11 which requires at least as much time of participation per week 2 12 asone=eighthone=fourth unit of physical education. 2 13 Sec. 4. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. The department of 2 14 education shall convene, and provide administrative support 2 15 to, an advisory committee of appropriate education 2 16 stakeholders to consider the physical education requirements 2 17 under section 256.11 and make recommendations for changes to 2 18 the requirements. The department of education shall submit 2 19 the advisory committee's findings and recommendations to the 2 20 general assembly by January 14, 2008. 2 21 Sec. 5. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 2 22 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 2 23 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 2 24 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 2 25 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 2 26 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 2 27 to meet all the state funding=related requirements of section 2 28 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be 2 29 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and 2 30 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts. 2 31 EXPLANATION 2 32 This bill increases the physical education unit requirement 2 33 from one=eighth unit per semester to one=quarter, or from 50 2 34 minutes per week to 100 minutes per week, for grades nine 2 35 through 12. The bill also provides that "physical education 3 1 activities", which all physically able students who do not 3 2 qualify for an exemption must participate in, includes a 3 3 minimum of 100 minutes per week, of activities designed to 3 4 increase cardiovascular fitness. 3 5 Rules adopted by the state board currently provide that 3 6 physical fitness activities include activities that increase 3 7 cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility; 3 8 sports and games; tumbling and gymnastics; rhythms and dance; 3 9 water safety; leisure and lifetime activities. 3 10 The bill also directs the department of education to 3 11 convene an advisory committee to consider the statutory 3 12 physical education requirements and submit findings and 3 13 recommendations to the general assembly by January 14, 2008. 3 14 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 3 15 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any 3 16 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 3 17 district from state school foundation aid received by the 3 18 school district under section 257.16. The specification is 3 19 deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 3 20 funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 3 21 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 3 22 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 3 23 mandates included in the bill. 3 24 LSB 1697SV 82 3 25 kh:sc/es/88