Bill Text: TX HB2849 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to policies on the recess period in public schools.
Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2025-05-21 - Referred to Education K-16 [HB2849 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB2849-Engrossed.html
| 89R12817 RDR-F | ||
| By: Allen, Simmons, Jones of Harris, et al. | H.B. No. 2849 | |
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| relating to policies on the recess period in public schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 28.0045 and 28.0046 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 28.0045. MODEL RECESS POLICIES. The Department of | ||
| State Health Services School Health Advisory Committee established | ||
| under Section 1001.0711, Health and Safety Code, shall develop | ||
| model policies for the recess period during the school day that | ||
| encourage constructive, age-appropriate outdoor playtime. The | ||
| model policies must include guidelines for outdoor equipment and | ||
| facilities on public school campuses that maximize the | ||
| effectiveness of outdoor physical activity. | ||
| Sec. 28.0046. RECESS POLICY. (a) The board of trustees of | ||
| each school district shall: | ||
| (1) after reviewing the model recess policies | ||
| developed under Section 28.0045 and the policy recommendations of | ||
| the local school health advisory council provided under Section | ||
| 28.004(l), adopt a recess policy based on those model policies and | ||
| recommendations; and | ||
| (2) review and, if necessary, revise the recess policy | ||
| at least every five years. | ||
| (b) The recess policy must specify: | ||
| (1) the required number of minutes of weekly | ||
| unstructured playtime; and | ||
| (2) whether a student's recess time may be withheld as | ||
| a form of student discipline. | ||
| (c) Each school district campus subject to the district | ||
| recess policy adopted under Subsection (a) shall implement the | ||
| recess policy. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2026, the | ||
| Department of State Health Services School Health Advisory | ||
| Committee shall develop model recess policies as required by | ||
| Section 28.0045, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (b) Not later than May 1, 2026, the board of trustees of each | ||
| school district shall adopt a recess policy as required by Section | ||
| 28.0046, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (c) Not later than the beginning of the 2026-2027 school | ||
| year, each school district campus subject to a school district | ||
| recess policy adopted under Section 28.0046, Education Code, as | ||
| added by this Act, shall implement the adopted policy. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
