Reduce Childhood Obesity in Oklahoma (Updated March 19, 2008)

GOAL #1: Increase physical activity for Oklahoma school children.

HB 2574 (Hickman / Jolley) expands physical education beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. The original language expanded the requirement to 6th grade and increased the number of required minutes from 60 to 150.  It also created a P.E. requirement for grades 7 and of 100 minutes per week.

Status: HB 2574 passed the House 73 to 26.   It was amended to increase P.E. to 120 minutes (instead of the original 150), and lessened the mandate for 7 & 8 graders to 45 hours per year (or one 9-week course).  The new version also gives schools much greater flexibility in fulfilling these requirements by allowing athletics, marching band and other physical activities to count toward the mandate.  The bill will likely be assigned to the Senate Education Committee.

Fact Sheet for HB 2574

SB 1186 (Easley / Coody) increases physical education K-5, beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, from 60 minutes to 120 minutes.

	Status: SB 1186 passed the Senate 34 to 14 with the following amendment:  “The additional 60 minutes may include physical education, exercise programs, fitness breaks, recess and classroom activities, and wellness and nutrition education, as determined by each local board of education.”   The bill passed the House Subcommittee on Common Education and has now been assigned to the Full House Education Committee.
	Fact Sheet for SB 1186
	Talking Points for SB 1186

GOAL #2: Create a baseline of health and fitness data, and raise awareness of the issue, through Student Fitness Testing.

HB 2989 (J. McDaniel / Crain) directs the Departments of Health and Education to facilitate the development of the physical fitness testing software customized for Oklahoma public schools to track the five components of student health-related fitness.  The program shall have the capacity of creating confidential reports for parents that include explanations of the data and suggestions for appropriate actions. The program will be piloted in 15 selected elementary schools for testing 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. 

	Status: HB 2989 currently promotes health and wellness by allowing state agencies to create employee wellness programs.  Senator Crain will amend this bill in its Senate committee to include the identical language from his SB 1563.
	Fact Sheets for HB 2989

For more information, contact Anne Roberts at 405 / 236-KIDS, or aroberts@oica.org.