00 HOUSE BILL NO. 128 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Schools Physical Activity Task Force." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 04 to read: 05 FINDINGS. The legislature finds that 06 (1) obesity in the United States has been described as a "pandemic" by the 07 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States Department of Health and 08 Human Services; 09 (2) more than 30 percent of children in the United States are obese or 10 overweight; 11 (3) 65 to 70 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese; this 12 number is increasing two to four percent each year; 13 (4) obesity leads to higher medical costs; 14 (5) according to a recent study by the Anchorage School District and the 15 division of public health in the Department of Health and Social Services for the school years 01 1998-1999 through 2002-2003, 18 percent of students were overweight and another 18 02 percent were at-risk for becoming overweight over time; 03 (6) numerous health problems are associated with being overweight or obese, 04 including diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, colon and breast 05 cancers, depression, anxiety, and osteoporosis; 06 (7) the Journal of the American Medical Association reported in a January 8, 07 2003, article that a white male between the ages of 20 and 30 with a severe level of obesity 08 may potentially have his life span reduced by 13 years; a white female of similar age and 09 obesity may have her life span reduced by eight years; 10 (8) Type 2 diabetes in children is a relatively new phenomenon; according to 11 the American Diabetes Association, as many as 80 percent of children who are diagnosed 12 with Type 2 diabetes are overweight; diabetes can lead to later health problems, including 13 cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation; 14 (9) a study done by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education 15 in 2002 of California public school students found evidence of a link between physical fitness 16 and higher academic performance; 17 (10) the National Guideline Clearinghouse suggests that one of the best ways 18 to increase physical activity in a community is through school-based physical activity; and 19 (11) not every school in the state has ample facilities to provide for effective 20 indoor physical activity. 21 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22 read: 23 ALASKA SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK FORCE. (a) There is 24 established in the legislative branch of state government the Alaska Schools Physical Activity 25 Task Force. The task force shall consist of 11 voting members, as follows: 26 (1) one member from the Department of Education and Early Development 27 designated by the commissioner of education and early development; 28 (2) two members who are school officials or school board members from 29 school districts on the state interconnected road system designated by the commissioner of 30 education and early development; 31 (3) two members who are school officials or school board members from 01 school districts that are not on the state interconnected road system designated by the 02 commissioner of education and early development; 03 (4) one physician member versed in the subject of physical activity in schools 04 designated by the American College of Physicians, Alaska Chapter; 05 (5) one physician member designated by the American Heart Association; 06 (6) two members appointed by the president of the senate from among the 07 members of the senate; and 08 (7) two members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives 09 from among the members of the house of representatives. 10 (b) The commissioner of education and early development shall appoint a member 11 from among the members who are not legislators to serve as chair of the task force. The 12 members of the task force who are legislators shall serve as co-vice-chairs of the task force. 13 The staff of the members who are legislators shall serve as staff to the task force. 14 (c) The task force shall prepare a report that includes recommendations for effectively 15 and economically maximizing physical activity in the schools of the state. In preparing its 16 recommendations, the task force shall consider 17 (1) solutions that work within the infrastructure of schools in the state; 18 (2) whether 19 (A) physical activity coordinators should be employed by school 20 districts or by the state to maximize physical activity within existing school district 21 infrastructures; 22 (B) new laws or amendments to existing law should be enacted or 23 regulations adopted to allow schools to provide necessary physical activity; 24 (C) state school construction requirements should be changed to 25 facilitate necessary physical activity; 26 (3) long-term solutions for ensuring that students in the state receive adequate 27 physical activity; 28 (4) the possibility of after-school programs in addition to programs during 29 school hours; and 30 (5) how to enhance physical activity offered in schools to meet standards 31 adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States Department of 01 Health and Human Services; the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, or 02 similar standards. 03 (d) The task force shall meet as frequently as its members determine necessary to 04 perform its work. The task force may meet and vote by teleconference. 05 (e) The members of the task force identified in (a)(1) - (5) of this section are not 06 eligible for compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for 07 boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 08 (f) The task force shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to 09 the legislature and the governor before January 10, 2006. 10 * Sec. 3. This Act is repealed on the last day of the Second Regular Session of the Twenty- 11 Fourth Alaska State Legislature.