Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
04/18/2005 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB156 | |
| SB167 | |
| HB128 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 156 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 167 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 128 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 128-SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK FORCE
CHAIR DYSON announced HB 128 to be up for consideration.
SHALON SZYMANSKI, staff to Representative Lesil McGuire,
introduced the bill:
According to the American Obesity Association, more
than 30 percent of United States children and
adolescents are overweight or obese. Studies show that
overweight children are more likely to become
overweight adults with a variety of health problems
including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer,
and high cholesterol.
According to a recent study by the Anchorage school
district, 36 percent of Anchorage students are
overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. The
National Association for Sport and Physical Education
recommends that elementary school students receive at
least 150 minutes of Physical Education (PE) per week
and that middle and high-school students receive at
least 225 minutes of PE per week. The center for
disease control recommends at least 30 minutes of
physical activity per day.
Despite all of these recommendations from the experts,
the Anchorage, Valdez, and Fairbanks school districts
are requiring that only middle school students receive
daily physical activity. Elementary students in these
school districts receive only two 30 to 40 minute PE
sessions per week and in the four years that a student
is in high school; he is required to only take a year
and a half of PE in order to graduate.
These levels of PE are clearly much lower than what is
recommended by PE and health experts. This task force,
if established, would be made up of school officials
from rural and urban areas, physicians and members of
the Department of Education and Early Development and
legislators.
We recognize that different schools have different
facilities available for PE and it would be up to this
task force to determine an effective and economical
way to increase PE within the existing school
infrastructure.
This task force would also look into whether new laws
or regulations are necessary to provide more physical
activities in the schools and whether construction
requirements should be changed to facilitate PE. Many
other state legislatures are taking similar steps in
addressing the problem of overweight children and
Alaska should consider following in their footsteps.
Establishing this taskforce would be a step in the
right direction.
CHAIR DYSON asked Ms. Szymanski how the task force could be
established with a zero fiscal note.
2:59:11 PM
MS. SZYMANSKI responded the taskforce would meet only by
teleconference so there would not be any associated travel
expenses. The fiscal note shows that the Legislature would
absorb the communications costs. The task force would be
comprised only of volunteers and there are currently many who
are willing to volunteer.
SENATOR WILKEN asked Ms. Szymanski what she envisions to be the
deliverable of this taskforce.
MS. SZYMANSKI responded Representative McGuire hopes to develop
strategies within the school system to get kids to be more
physically active and to adopt healthier diets.
3:01:27 PM
SENATOR WILKEN said the suggestions of a volunteer nine-member
task force would probably not have any affect on such a nebulous
problem as juvenile obesity.
SENATOR GREEN agreed with Senator Wilken and remarked that over
the years she has been incredibly disappointed with many of the
fact-finding committees that have met during the interim. She
said the proposed actions of the taskforce should be restricted
to the purview of the State School Board since it has a much
greater resource base with which to address the problem. She
added the timeframe of the bill is unrealistic.
3:06:00 PM
SENATOR ELTON voiced support for bringing a Legislative focus to
the issue. He said the bill could draw attention and since it
does not have a fiscal note, it is worth doing.
CHAIR DYSON said most of what needs to be done is common sense.
School districts are under immense pressure from high stakes
tests such as the high-school exit exam and the No Child Left
Behind mandate and they would not want to divert valuable time
and resources from those endeavors.
3:09:16 PM
JEANNE ANGLIN, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS),
supported HB 128. She recommended the committee adopt an
amendment to include a DHSS representative on the task force
since the department has considerable interest and expertise in
dealing with chronic diseases such as obesity.
SENATOR OLSON asked the sponsor whether she would like to
address the concerns of the committee.
MS. ANGLIN responded the bill would not be a stand-alone
solution to the problem, but it would help to the organize
entities involved in addressing the problems.
CHAIR DYSON asked whether academic achievement is correlated
with increased hours of PE in the curriculum.
EMILY NENAN, Alaska Government Relations for the American Cancer
Society, supported HB 128. She said the purpose of the task
force would be to elevate the discussion and recognize that it
is a high level priority for the state. Many organizations
support the task force as a means of corroborating on data
pertinent to the problems of juvenile inactivity. There is data
that suggests healthy children learn better.
CHAIR DYSON held HB 128 in committee. There being no further
business to come before the committee, he adjourned the meeting
at 3:19:35 PM.
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