03/08/2005 11:00 AM House EDUCATION

HB 128-SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK FORCE                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR NEUMAN announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 128  "An  Act  establishing the  Alaska  Schools                                                               
Physical Activity Task Force."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:05:26 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARA introduced and  moved Amendment 1 labeled 24-                                                               
LS0298\Y.1, Bullock, 3/8/05, which read:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, line 6:                                                                                                            
          Delete "but are entitled to"                                                                                          
          Insert ","                                                                                                            
          Delete "and"                                                                                                          
          Insert ", or"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, lines 6 - 7:                                                                                                       
          Delete "authorized for boards and commissions                                                                         
     under AS 39.20.180"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARA  said Amendment 1 clarifies  that the members                                                               
on  the Physical  Activity Task  Force  won't be  paid and  won't                                                               
receive per diem.  He said  he doesn't think anyone desires to be                                                               
paid, and it will zero out the small fiscal note.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  NEUMAN objected  to Amendment  1 for  discussion purposes.                                                               
He said he agrees with the  amendment and that legal services had                                                               
some questions about  it.  He withdrew his  objection and hearing                                                               
no others, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:07:14 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LESIL MCGUIRE,  Alaska  State Legislature,  said,                                                               
"All of us are aware of  the epidemic that obesity is becoming in                                                               
our country,  and the saddest  part is watching our  young people                                                               
slip into  ... a  lifestyle that  is very  difficult to  get away                                                               
from."  She  said there are medical and societal  costs.  She and                                                               
Representative Gara met with physicians  and decided it would not                                                               
be fair  to mandate  something that wouldn't  be funded,  so they                                                               
decided that  a task force would  be appropriate.  She  said they                                                               
looked  forward to  working  with  physical educators,  teachers,                                                               
physicians, and  members of  the legislature to  see what  can be                                                               
done to tackle  the obesity problem in children.   She added that                                                               
there is interest from the heart association and others.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:10:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO commented  that things  are being  done--he                                                               
saw a television show focusing on obesity.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:11:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCGUIRE  commented   that  the  Matanuska-Susitna                                                               
Borough  has voluntarily  introduced  nutritious  foods into  the                                                               
school menu with positive reviews.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:12:19 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON  said she  used to be  a school  nurse, and                                                               
she has  seen a  huge difference in  children's weights  over the                                                               
last 20 years.   The lifestyle has changed  from children running                                                               
around playing  ball to sitting  in front of the  television, she                                                               
added.    Doctors  are  now finding  high  blood  pressure,  high                                                               
cholesterol, and a large increase in diabetes in young kids.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:13:50 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN said  vending machines  should have  healthy                                                               
food.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:14:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR NEUMAN said HB 128  asks representatives to volunteer to be                                                               
on the committee and he encouraged members to be involved.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:15:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARA  said  30  to 40  percent  of  the  nation's                                                               
children  are overweight,  and by  adulthood it  increases to  70                                                               
percent.  He suggested looking at  what other states are doing to                                                               
combat obesity, including mandating healthier food in schools.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:17:51 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  THOMAS  asked  if  an ad  hoc  committee  can  be                                                               
created before the bill moves since there is no fiscal note.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:18:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCGUIRE  said  that   people  are  already  being                                                               
rounded up  as the  bill moves  through the  legislative process.                                                               
She said she thought a task  force would bring more publicity and                                                               
media attention  than an  ad hoc  committee.   A task  force also                                                               
adds some structure, she added.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:19:48 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to report  HB 128, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.  Hearing no objection, CS HB 128(EDU) was passed.