Bill
H 3621
Strengthens K-12 physical activity and fitness reporting, updates nutrition standards, and empowers Coordinated School Health Advisory Councils to combat childhood obesity.
Status and procedural history
- Bill: H 3621, titled the “Healthy Students Act”
- Introduced/prefiled: Dec 12, 2024 / Jan 14, 2025 (multiple entries)
- Referred to: Committee on Education and Public Works (Feb 27, 2025)
- Hearing(s): scheduled/rescheduled for Oct 21, 2025 (times/rooms updated)
- Related: HD 1012 (replaces)
Important note on source material
- The file provided appears to contain two different pieces of legislation pasted together: (A) a South Carolina–style “Healthy Students Act” that amends Title 59 (physical activity, school nutrition, and coordinated health councils); and (B) a short Massachusetts-style insertion (Chapter 90 §18C) prohibiting vehicle checkpoints targeting specific vehicle types or decorations. This summary focuses primarily on the Healthy Students Act (school health) text but flags the vehicle-checkpoint provision as a conflicting insertion that should be validated against official legislative records for the correct jurisdiction and final text.
Purpose and intent
- Primary intent: strengthen and clarify school-based physical activity, fitness reporting, nutrition standards, and coordinated health planning to address childhood obesity and improve student health and academic readiness.
- Seeks to (1) set/expand physical activity requirements for K–12 students, (2) require fitness reporting and district summary reporting, (3) update nutrition/competitive-food policy requirements, (4) modify duties of Coordinated School Health Advisory Councils (CSHAC), and (5) redesignate statutory chapter titles and repeal provisions governing vending machine snacks.
Key provisions (specifics from bill text)
- Physical activity requirements:
- Affirmation of goal: elementary students receive the equivalent of 30 minutes of physical activity daily.
- K–5: minimum 150 minutes per week of physical education and activity (phased rules beginning 2006–07 noted in text).
- 6–12: beginning 2022–23, require a minimum of 90 minutes per week of physical activity integrated into the school day.
- Certified PE class size: may not exceed an average ratio of 28 students to 1 teacher.
- Exemptions: students may seek waivers per existing statute (Section 59‑29‑80(B) referenced).
- Fitness reporting and data:
- Individual fitness status to be reported to parents/guardians in 2nd grade, 5th grade, 8th grade, and during high school PE courses (the bill adds 2nd grade to previously required grades).
- Districts must report minutes of PE and additional activity by June 15 each year (listed by school/class/grade). State Dept. of Education to provide a district summary including fitness status to the General Assembly by December 1 during implementation years.
- Nutrition and competitive foods:
- State Board to establish nutritional requirements for all school meals and competitive foods K–12 during the academic year, meeting or exceeding USDA standards; requirements to be continuously updated.
- Clarifies that parents may provide food for their own children and local boards may adopt more restrictive policies.
- Coordinated School Health Advisory Councils (CSHAC):
- Each district must maintain a CSHAC to assess, plan, implement, and monitor health policies/programs and produce a school health improvement plan aligned with district strategic plans.
- Removes or modifies earlier statutory language that limited vending and snack-food sales (text removes some prior restrictions but allows districts to adopt stricter policies).
- Statutory housekeeping:
- Redesignates Chapter 10, Title 59 as “Physical Activity, School Health Services, and Nutritional Standards.”
- Repeals section concerning snacks in school vending machines (Section 59‑10‑340).
Who would be affected
- Students K–12 (increased/clarified physical activity and fitness monitoring)
- Parents/guardians (receiving fitness reports; ability to provide student's food)
- School districts, school boards, and local food services (policy and operational changes; potential nutrition service updates)
- State Department of Education (data collection, summary reporting)
- Coordinated School Health Advisory Councils (expanded/clarified duties)
- Potential fiscal effects for districts (need for PE staffing, training, program design, reporting systems, and possibly changes to food service contracts)
Potential fiscal/operational impacts
- May increase demand for certified PE staff or reallocation of instructional time to meet minute and ratio requirements.
- Districts may incur costs for data collection, program planning, fitness assessments, and nutrition program adjustments.
- Local control preserved to adopt stricter nutrition policies; actual district impacts will vary.
Conflicting vehicle-checkpoint provision (appears in same file)
- A separate insertion (Chapter 90 §18C) would prohibit motor vehicle safety checkpoints that target a particular type of motor vehicle, decoration, or rider within the Commonwealth, with enumerated exemptions for public/common carriers and certain commercial/oversized vehicles. Verify jurisdiction and applicability before treating this as part of the Healthy Students Act.
Recommendation
- Because the supplied document mixes texts from different jurisdictions and subject areas, consult the official legislative website or clerk’s office for H 3621 to confirm the final bill text, jurisdiction, and current status before using this summary for policy or legal purposes.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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