S.F. 161 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 1 subparagraphs (1) and (2), Code 2023, are amended to read as 2 follows: 3 (1) All students physically able shall be required to 4 participate in physical education activities during each 5 semester they are enrolled in school except as otherwise 6 provided in this paragraph. A minimum of one-eighth unit each 7 semester is required. A twelfth grade student who meets the 8 requirements of this paragraph may shall be excused from the 9 physical education requirement by the principal of the school 10 in which the student is enrolled if the parent or guardian of 11 the student requests in writing that the student be excused 12 from the physical education requirement. A student who wishes 13 to be excused from the physical education requirement must be 14 seeking to be excused in order to enroll in academic courses 15 not otherwise available to the student, or be enrolled or 16 participating in one of the following: 17 (a) A work-based learning program or other educational 18 program authorized by the school which requires the student to 19 leave the school premises for specified periods of time during 20 the school day. 21 (b) An organized and supervised athletic program which 22 requires at least as much participation per week as one-eighth 23 unit of physical education. 24 (c) Show choir, marching band, or color guard, if the 25 student’s participation per week in show choir, marching 26 band, or color guard is at least equivalent to the per-week 27 participation required for one-eighth unit of physical 28 education. 29 (2) Students in grades nine through eleven may be excused 30 from the physical education requirement in order to enroll in 31 academic courses not otherwise available to the student if the 32 board of directors of the school district in which the school 33 is located, or the authorities in charge of the school, if the 34 school is a nonpublic school, determine that students from 35 -1- LSB 1823XS (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 4

S.F. 161 the school may be permitted to be excused from the physical 1 education requirement . A student may shall be excused from 2 the physical education requirement by the principal of the 3 school in which the student is enrolled , in consultation with 4 the student’s counselor, for up to one semester, trimester, 5 or the equivalent of a semester or trimester, per year if the 6 parent or guardian of the student requests in writing that the 7 student be excused from the physical education requirement. 8 The student seeking to be excused from the physical education 9 requirement must, at some time during the period for which the 10 excuse is sought, be a participant in show choir, marching 11 band, color guard, or an organized and supervised athletic 12 program which requires at least as much time of participation 13 per week as one-eighth unit of physical education. 14 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 6, paragraph b, 15 subparagraph (2), Code 2023, is amended to read as follows: 16 (2) All physically able students in grades six through 17 twelve shall be required to engage in a physical activity 18 for a minimum of one hundred twenty minutes per week. A 19 student participating in an organized and supervised athletic 20 program , show choir, marching band, or color guard, or 21 non-school-sponsored extracurricular activity which requires 22 the student to participate in physical activity for a minimum 23 of one hundred twenty minutes per week is exempt from the 24 requirements of this subparagraph. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to the physical education and physical 29 activities requirements that apply to students enrolled in 30 school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter 31 schools. 32 Current law requires that all students enrolled in school 33 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools 34 who are physically able are required to participate in a 35 -2- LSB 1823XS (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 4

S.F. 161 minimum of one-eighth unit of physical education activities 1 during each semester they are enrolled in school. Current law 2 provides that a student enrolled in grade 12 may be excused 3 from this requirement by the school principal if the student’s 4 parent or guardian requests that the student be excused from 5 the requirement to take part in certain specified activities. 6 The bill modifies this provision to provide that a student 7 enrolled in grade 12 shall be excused from this requirement 8 by the school principal if the student’s parent or guardian 9 requests that the student be excused from the requirement 10 to take part in the activities, and the bill adds to the 11 list of activities for which a student may be excused show 12 choir, marching band, and color guard. The bill requires 13 that the student’s participation per week in show choir, 14 marching band, or color guard be at least equivalent to the 15 per-week participation required for one-eighth unit of physical 16 education. 17 Current law provides that a student enrolled in grades 9 18 through 11 may be excused from the requirement related to 19 physical education activities by the principal of the school 20 in which the student is enrolled, in consultation with the 21 student’s counselor, for up to one semester, trimester, or 22 the equivalent, per year if the board of directors or the 23 authorities in charge of the school determine that students 24 from the school may be permitted to be excused from the 25 physical education requirement and if the student’s parent or 26 guardian requests in writing that the student be excused from 27 the physical education requirement. Current law requires that 28 the student seeking to be excused from the physical education 29 requirement must, at some time during the period for which 30 the excuse is sought, be a participant in an organized and 31 supervised athletic program which requires at least as much 32 time of participation per week as one-eighth unit of physical 33 education. The bill modifies this provision to provide that a 34 student enrolled in grades 9 through 11 shall be excused from 35 -3- LSB 1823XS (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 4

S.F. 161 the requirement related to physical education activities by 1 the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled 2 for up to one semester, trimester, or the equivalent, per year 3 if the student’s parent or guardian requests that the student 4 be excused from the physical education requirement, and the 5 bill adds to the list of activities for which a student may 6 be excused show choir, marching band, and color guard. The 7 bill requires that the student’s participation per week in show 8 choir, marching band, or color guard be at least equivalent 9 to the per-week participation required for one-eighth unit of 10 physical education. 11 The bill exempts from the physical activity requirements 12 that apply to students enrolled in school districts, accredited 13 nonpublic schools, and charter schools in grades 6 through 12 14 students who are participating in show choir, marching band, 15 or color guard. 16 -4- LSB 1823XS (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 4