Entire Bill Transcript
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, today I send to the desk and introduce the Physical Education for Progress--or ``PEP''--Act. My bill would provide incentive grants
for local school districts to develop minimum weekly requirements for physical education, and daily physical education if possible.
Every student in our Nation's schools, from kindergarten through grade 12, should have the opportunity to participate in quality physical education. Children need to
know that physical activity can help them feel good, be successful in school and work, and stay healthy.
Engaging in sports activities provides lessons about teamwork and dealing with defeat. In my judgment, physical activity and sports are an important educational
tool, and the lessons of sports may help resolve some of the problems that lead to violence in schools.
Regular physical activity produces short-term health benefits and reduces long-term risks for chronic disease, disability and premature death. Despite the proven
benefits of being physically active, more than 60 percent of American adults do not engage in levels of physical activity necessary to provide health benefits.
More than a third of young people in our country aged 12 to 21 years do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity, and the percentage of overweight young
Americans has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 27
percent in 1997. Right now, only one state in our union--Illinois--currently requires daily physical education for grades K through 12. I think that is a staggering
statistic. Only one State requires daily physical education for our children.
The impact of our poor health habits is staggering: obesity-related diseases now cost the Nation more than $100 billion per year, and inactivity and poor diet cause
more than 300,000 deaths per year in the United States.
We know from the Centers for Disease Control and others that lifelong health-related habits, including physical activity and eating patterns, are often established in
childhood. Because ingrained behaviors are difficult to change as people grow older, we need to reach out to young people early, before health-damaging behaviors
are adopted.
To me, schools provide an ideal opportunity to make an enormous, positive impact on the health of our Nation. The PEP Act, to me, is an important step toward
improving the health of our Nation. The PEP Act would help schools get regular physical activity back into their programs. We can, and should, help our youth
establish solid health habits at an early age.
The incentive grants provided for by my bill could be used to provide physical education equipment and support to students, to enhance physical education
curricula, and to train and educate physical education teachers.
The future cost savings in health care for emphasizing the importance of physical activity to a long and healthy life, to me, are immense.
Grants Program: The bill would authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, local school districts to initiate, expand and
improve physical education programs for kindergarten through grade 12 students. The grants/contracts could be used to: (1) provide equipment and support to
enable students to actively participate in physical education activities; (2) develop or enhance physical education curricula to meet national goals developed by the
Secretary of Education in consultation with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education; and (3) provide funds for staff and teacher training and
education.
Physical Education Program Requirements: Local educational agencies would submit applications to the Secretary that include proposed programs to initiate,
expand, or improve physical education programs in schools served by the agency. Among other things, the programs would be required to: (1) provide elementary,
middle, and secondary school students with not less than 150 minutes per week of physical education and, if practicable, daily physical education; (2) require
teachers of physical education to have baccalaureate degrees as physical education specialists; and (3) provide for continuing education for physical education
teachers. Extracurricular activities such as team sports and Reserve Officers' Training Corps would not count in meeting the PEP Act minimum weekly physical
education requirement. Local education agencies would be able to submit multi-year plans to gradually come into compliance with the PEP Act requirements. As
a condition of receiving multi-year funding, the local educational agency would be required to submit an annual report documenting progress toward the PEP Act
requirements.
Funding Limitations: The Secretary of Education would be required to ensure that funds are equitably distributed between urban and rural areas and between large
and small school districts. Applications for home school and private school grants could be approved on a proportional basis. Local educational agencies would be
restricted with respect to administrative costs to no more than 7 percent of funds received. A non-federal match of at least 10 percent would be required during the
first year, and of at least 25 percent during subsequent years.
Authorization of Appropriations: The bill would authorize appropriations of $30 million for fiscal year 2000, $70 million for fiscal year 2001, and $100 million for each
of fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 - a total of $400 million over a five year period.
Report to Congress: The bill would require the Secretary of Education to submit a report to Congress by June 1, 2003 on the progress made under the PEP Act,
and any recommendations to continue or improve the programs assisted under the PEP Act.
Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Bill
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. STEVENS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
_________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants and contracts to local educational agencies to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for all
kindergarten through 12th grade students.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR PROGRESS.
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
"PART M-PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR PROGRESS
"SEC/ 10999A. SHORT TITLE.
"This part may be cited as the "Physical Education for Progress Act."
"SEC. 10999B. PURPOSE
"The purpose of this part is to provide grants and contracts to local educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies to
initiate, expand and improve physical education programs for all kindergarten through 12th grade students.
"SEC. 10099C. FINDINGS.
"Congress makes the following findings:
"(1) Physical education is essential to the development of growing children.
"(2) Physical education helps improve the overall health of children by improving their cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and
power, and flexibility, and by enhancing weight regulation, bone development, posture, skillful moving, active lifestyle habits, and
constructive use of leisure time.
"(3) Physical education helps improve the self esteem, interpersonal relationships, responsible behavior, and independence of children.
"(4) Children who participate in high quality daily physical education programs tend to be more healthy and physically fit.
"(5) The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the 30 years preceding 1999.
"(6) Low levels of activity contribute to the high prevalence of obesity among children in the United States.
"(7) Obesity related diseases cost the United States economy more than $100,000,000,000 every year.
"(8) Inactivity and poor diet cause at least 300,000 deaths a year in the United States.
"(9) Physically fit adults have significantly reduced risk factors for heart attacks and stroke.
"(10) Children are not as active as they should be and fewer than 1 in 4 children get 20 minutes of vigorous activity every day of the week.
"(11) The Surgeon General's 1996 Report on Physical Activity and Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend
daily physical education for all students in kindergarten through grade 12.
"(12) Twelve years after Congress passed House Concurrent Resolution 97, 100th Congress, agreed to December 11, 1987, encouraging
State and local governments and local educational agencies to provide high quality daily physical education programs for all children in
kindergarten through grade 12, little progress has been made.
"(13) Every student in our Nation's schools, from kindergarten through grade 12, should have the opportunity to participate in quality
physical education. It is the unique role of quality physical education programs to develop the health-related fitness, physical competence,
and cognitive understanding about physical activity for all students so that the students can adopt healthy and physically active lifestyles.
"SEC.10999D. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
"The Secretary is authorized to award grants to, and enter into contracts with, local educational agencies to pay the Federal share of the
costs of initiating, expanding and improving physical education programs for kindergarten through grade 12 students by---
"(1) providing equipment and support to enable students to actively participate in physical education activities;
"(2) developing or enhancing physical education curricula to meet national goals for physical education developed by the Secretary in
consultation with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education; and
"(3) providing funds for staff and teacher training and education.
"SEC. 10999E. APPLICATIONS; PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
"(a) APPLICATIONS.---Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this part shall submit to the Secretary an application that
contains a plan to initiate, expand, or improve physical education programs in the schools served by the agency to meet the minimum
program requirements described in subsection (b).
"(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.---The program requirements referred to in subsection (a) are as follows:
"(1) Physical education programs shall facilitate achievement of the goals for physical education, and the curriculum of the programs shall
provide---
"(A) elementary school, middle school, and secondary school students with not less than 150 minutes per week of instructional
physical education and, if practicable, daily instructional physical education;
"(B) fitness education and assessment to help children understand, improve, or maintain their physical well-being;
"(C) instruction is a variety of motor skills designed to enhance the physical, mental, and social or emotional development of
every child;
"(D) development of cognitive concepts about motor skill and physical fitness that support a lifelong healthy lifestyle;
"(E) opportunities to develop social and cooperative skills and gain a multicultural perspective through physical activity
participation;
"(F) involvement for all children in activities that provide appropriate amounts and kinds of physical activity; and
"(G) instruction in healthy eating habits and good nutrition.
"(2) Teachers of physical education shall have baccalaureate degrees qualifying the teachers as physical education specialists.
"(3) Teachers of physical education shall be afforded the opportunity for professional development to stay abreast of the latest research,
issues, and trends in the field of physical education.
"(c) SPECIAL RULE.---For the purpose of this part, extracurricular activities such as team sports and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)
program activities shall not be considered as part of the curriculum of a physical education program assisted under this part.
SEC.10999F. PROPORTIONALITY.
"The Secretary shall ensure that grants awarded and contracts entered into under this part shall be equitably distributed between local
educational agencies serving urban and rural areas, and between local educational agencies serving large and small numbers of students.
"SEC.10999G. PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS.
"An application for funds under this part, consistent with the number of home-schooled children or children enrolled in private elementary
schools, middle schools, and secondary schools located in the school district of a local educational agency, may provide for the participation
of such children and their teachers in the activities assisted under this part.
"SEC.10999H. REPORT REQUIRED FOR CONTINUED FUNDING.
"As a condition to continue to receive grant or contract funding after the first year of a multiyear grant or contract under this part, the
administrator of the grant or contract for the local educational agency shall submit to the Secretary an annual report that describes the
activities conducted during the preceding year and demonstrates that progress has been made toward achieving program requirements
described in section 10999E (b).
"SEC.10999I. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
"The Secretary shall submit a report to Congress not later than June 1, 2003, that describes the programs assisted under this part,
documents the success of such programs in improving physical fitness, and makes such recommendations as the Secretary determines
appropriate for the continuation and improvement of the programs assisted under this part.
"SEC.10999J. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
"Not more than 7 percent of the grant or contract funds made available to a local educational agency under this part for any fiscal year may
be used for administrative costs.
"SEC.10999K. FEDERAL SHARE; SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.
"(a) FEDERAL SHARE.--- The Federal share under this part may not exceed---
"(1) 90 percent of the total cost of a project for the first year for which the project receives assistance under this part; and
"(2) 75 percent of such cost for the second and each subsequent such year.
"(b) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.---Funds made available under this part shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State
and local funds available for physical education activities.
"SEC.10999L. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
"There are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, and $100,000,000 for each of
the fiscal years 2002 through 2004, to carry out this part. Such funds shall remain available until expended."
Contact your Senator and tell them you want them to vote for or co-sponsor the PEP Act. Contact them by email, phone, fax
or letter.
Back to Sports Webzine
back to www.SportsSales.com