Bill Text: IA SF2273 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the conditions for which a student enrolled in grades one through twelve may be excused from physical education requirements. (Formerly SF 2174.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-15 - Referred to Education. S.J. 692. [SF2273 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2273-Introduced.html
Senate File 2273 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2174) A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the conditions for which a student enrolled 2 in grades one through twelve may be excused from physical 3 education requirements. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2018, 1 2 are amended to read as follows: 1 3 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one through 1 4 six: English=language arts, social studies, mathematics, 1 5 science, health, age=appropriate and research=based human 1 6 growth and development, physical education, traffic safety, 1 7 music, and visual art. 1 8 a. The health curriculum shall include the characteristics 1 9 of communicable diseases including acquired immune deficiency 1 10 syndrome. 1 11 b. A school may excuse a student from the physical education 1 12 component of the elementary program if the student's parent 1 13 or guardian requests in writing that the student be excused 1 14 from the physical education class offered and taught under 1 15 this subsection and the student engages in physical activity 1 16 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 1 17 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 1 18 school for this purpose. 1 19 c. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall 1 20 adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary 1 21 program. 1 22 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 1 23 eight: English=language arts; social studies; mathematics; 1 24 science; health; age=appropriate and research=based human 1 25 growth and development; career exploration and development; 1 26 physical education; music; and visual art. 1 27 a. Career exploration and development shall be designed 1 28 so that students are appropriately prepared to create an 1 29 individual career and academic plan pursuant to section 1 30 279.61, incorporate foundational career and technical education 1 31 concepts aligned with the six career and technical education 1 32 service areas as defined in subsection 5, paragraph "h", and 1 33 incorporate relevant twenty=first century skills. 1 34 b. The health curriculum shall include age=appropriate 1 35 and research=based information regarding the characteristics 2 1 of sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV and the 2 2 availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, and acquired 2 3 immune deficiency syndrome. The state board as part of 2 4 accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for 2 5 implementing the program in grades seven and eight. However, 2 6 this subsection shall not apply to the teaching of career 2 7 exploration and development in nonpublic schools. For purposes 2 8 of this section, "age=appropriate", "HPV", and "research=based" 2 9 mean the same as defined in section 279.50. 2 10 c. A school may excuse a student from the physical education 2 11 component of the education program if the student's parent 2 12 or guardian requests in writing that the student be excused 2 13 from the physical education class offered and taught under 2 14 this subsection and the student engages in physical activity 2 15 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 2 16 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 2 17 school for this purpose. 2 18 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 2 19 subparagraph (1), Code 2018, is amended by adding the following 2 20 new subparagraph division: 2 21 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH DIVISION. (c) Physical fitness activity 2 22 for at least two hours per week at a fitness exercise club or 2 23 other physical fitness or sports center that is approved by the 2 24 school for this purpose. 2 25 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g, 2 26 subparagraph (2), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 2 27 (2) Students in grades nine through eleven may be excused 2 28 from the physical education requirement in order to enroll 2 29 in academic courses not otherwise available to the student 2 30 if the board of directors of the school district in which 2 31 the school is located, or the authorities in charge of the 2 32 school, if the school is a nonpublic school, determine that 2 33 students from the school may be permitted to be excused 2 34 from the physical education requirement. A student may be 2 35 excused by the principal of the school in which the student is 3 1 enrolled, in consultation with the student's counselor, for up 3 2 to one semester, trimester, or the equivalent of a semester or 3 3 trimester, per year if the parent or guardian of the student 3 4 requests in writing that the student be excused from the 3 5 physical education requirement. The student seeking to be 3 6 excused from the physical education requirement must, at some 3 7 time during the period for which the excuse is sought,bemeet 3 8 any of the following conditions: 3 9 (a) Be a participant in an organized and supervised athletic 3 10 program which requires at least as much time of participation 3 11 per week as one=eighth unit of physical education. 3 12 (b) Engage in physical fitness activity for at least two 3 13 hours per week at a fitness exercise club or other physical 3 14 fitness or sports center that is approved by the school for 3 15 this purpose. 3 16 EXPLANATION 3 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 18 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 19 This bill authorizes a student in grades 1 through 12 to 3 20 be excused from the physical fitness requirements under the 3 21 state's educational standards if the student is engaging in 3 22 physical fitness activity for at least two hours per week at 3 23 a fitness exercise club or other physical fitness or sports 3 24 center that is approved by the school. LSB 5824SV (1) 87 kh/jh
