Pulse on State Policy: Legislative Committee Deadlines Bring Little Support for Bills that Would Weaken Physical Education
During the Illinois legislature's current session, CLOCC has closely monitored several proposed bills potentially affecting the health and well-
being of Illinois
children, including legislation that would de-mandate physical education in schools. As these bills were discussed in committee, many Illinois citizens took advantage of the opportunity to register opposition or support using online witness slips. For bills seeking to remove or weaken the physical education mandate in Illinois, opposing witness slips represented the overwhelming majority. The number of individuals engaged in protecting access to PE this spring proved to be a positive development. The following is a brief update regarding bills on CLOCC's 'watch list.' HB1330 would eliminate all requirements for physical education in Illinois. This bill, opposed by CLOCC, stalled in the House Rules Committee. When reviewed in the School Curriculum & Policies Committee in late March, the 428 witness slips opposing HB1330 stood in stark contrast to the 5 slips supporting the measure. HB1360 would require charter schools in Illinois to immediately adhere to the same health, wellness and safety policies that govern public schools under Illinois law. This bill passed unanimously through committee and is scheduled for a third reading. In addition to HB1330, the following bills with the potential to affect current PE standards did not pass out of committee prior to the March 27 deadline:
- HB0425: a bill that allows schools to eliminate instructional mandates if they are not paid by the State for those mandates in a timely manner (which could include P.E.)
- HB1448: Expands the allowable P.E. exemptions to grades 9 through 12 (instead of just 11th and 12th grade).
- HB2536: Permits a school board to excuse pupils in grades 9 through 12 from engaging in physical education courses if those pupils request to be excused and are enrolled in 2 or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
While Illinois' physical education standards remain intact, a bill with potential to improve access to healthy foods for those using SNAP or WIC benefits unfortunately failed to advance out of committee. HB3340 would amend the State Finance Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code, requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a Healthy Local Food Incentives Program to double the purchasing power of Illinois residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. For now, the usability of LINK cards remains in the status quo as HB1415/1522, failed to pass through committee. This measure dictates that electronic benefits transfer ("LINK") cards used to obtain SNAP benefits or cash shall contain the name and photo of the primary cardholder and, at the option of the primary cardholder, the names of secondary holders who are authorized to use the card. This session has also seen the introduction of HB2667 & SB1584, the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Act, which creates an Illinois Wellness Fund to invest in community wellness initiatives and expanded obesity prevention and treatment services for Medicaid beneficiaries through a penny-per-ounce excise tax on bottled sugar-sweetened beverages, syrups, and powders. While not moved out of committee, the HEAL Act picked up several co-sponsors in both the House and Senate. |