Senate File 2273 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2273 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2174) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the conditions for which a student enrolled 1 in grades one through twelve may be excused from physical 2 education requirements. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh

S.F. 2273 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2018, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one through 3 six: English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, 4 science, health, age-appropriate and research-based human 5 growth and development, physical education, traffic safety, 6 music, and visual art. 7 a. The health curriculum shall include the characteristics 8 of communicable diseases including acquired immune deficiency 9 syndrome. 10 b. A school may excuse a student from the physical education 11 component of the elementary program if the student’s parent 12 or guardian requests in writing that the student be excused 13 from the physical education class offered and taught under 14 this subsection and the student engages in physical activity 15 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 16 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 17 school for this purpose. 18 c. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall 19 adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary 20 program. 21 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 22 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 23 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 24 growth and development; career exploration and development; 25 physical education; music; and visual art. 26 a. Career exploration and development shall be designed 27 so that students are appropriately prepared to create an 28 individual career and academic plan pursuant to section 29 279.61 , incorporate foundational career and technical education 30 concepts aligned with the six career and technical education 31 service areas as defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , and 32 incorporate relevant twenty-first century skills. 33 b. The health curriculum shall include age-appropriate 34 and research-based information regarding the characteristics 35 -1- LSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh 1/ 3

S.F. 2273 of sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV and the 1 availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, and acquired 2 immune deficiency syndrome. The state board as part of 3 accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for 4 implementing the program in grades seven and eight. However, 5 this subsection shall not apply to the teaching of career 6 exploration and development in nonpublic schools. For purposes 7 of this section , “age-appropriate” , “HPV” , and “research-based” 8 mean the same as defined in section 279.50 . 9 c. A school may excuse a student from the physical education 10 component of the education program if the student’s parent 11 or guardian requests in writing that the student be excused 12 from the physical education class offered and taught under 13 this subsection and the student engages in physical activity 14 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 15 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 16 school for this purpose. 17 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 18 subparagraph (1), Code 2018, is amended by adding the following 19 new subparagraph division: 20 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH DIVISION . (c) Physical fitness activity 21 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 22 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 23 school for this purpose. 24 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 25 subparagraph (2), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 26 (2) Students in grades nine through eleven may be excused 27 from the physical education requirement in order to enroll 28 in academic courses not otherwise available to the student 29 if the board of directors of the school district in which 30 the school is located, or the authorities in charge of the 31 school, if the school is a nonpublic school, determine that 32 students from the school may be permitted to be excused 33 from the physical education requirement. A student may be 34 excused by the principal of the school in which the student is 35 -2- LSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh 2/ 3

S.F. 2273 enrolled, in consultation with the student’s counselor, for up 1 to one semester, trimester, or the equivalent of a semester or 2 trimester, per year if the parent or guardian of the student 3 requests in writing that the student be excused from the 4 physical education requirement. The student seeking to be 5 excused from the physical education requirement must, at some 6 time during the period for which the excuse is sought, be meet 7 any of the following conditions: 8 (a) Be a participant in an organized and supervised athletic 9 program which requires at least as much time of participation 10 per week as one-eighth unit of physical education. 11 (b) Engage in physical fitness activity for at least two 12 hours per week at a fitness exercise club or other physical 13 fitness or sports center that is approved by the school for 14 this purpose. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill authorizes a student in grades 1 through 12 to 19 be excused from the physical fitness requirements under the 20 state’s educational standards if the student is engaging in 21 physical fitness activity for at least two hours per week at 22 a fitness exercise club or other physical fitness or sports 23 center that is approved by the school. 24 -3- LSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh 3/ 3