HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1475        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 366

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act establishing local school health advisory councils..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 7l of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 54B the following section:-

     Section 54C.  The school committee of each school district shall establish a local school health education advisory council to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district’s health education instruction and wellness programs.

A school district must consider the recommendations of the local school health education advisory council before changing the district’s health education curriculum or instruction.

The local school health advisory council’s duties include recommending:- (a) the number of hours of instruction to be provided in health education;(b) health education curriculum appropriate for specific grade levels that shall incorporate the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework and that may include a coordinated health education program consistent with guidelines based on the American School Health Association’s Comprehensive School Health Program and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention coordinated school health program designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type II diabetes through coordination of the following nine elememts:

(i) health services;

(ii) health education;

 (iii) school nutrition services;

(iv)  physical education;

 (v) healthly school environment;

 (vi) school counseling;

 (vii) school psychological and social services;

 (viii) staff health and wellness; and

 (ix) family and community involvement.

    The school committee shall appoint members to the local school health advisory council.  A majority of the members must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in the district and who are not employed by the district.  The board of trustees also may appoint one or more persons from each of the following groups or a representative from a group other than a group specified under this subsection: public school teachers, public school administrators, students, licensed health care professionals, the business community, law enforcement, senior citizens, the clergy and nonprofit organizations.

    The department of education shall monitor and act as a clearing house for the activities of the local school health advisory councils. 

     The department shall also notify each school district of the availability of professional development opportunities on school health issues.

     Each local school district shall develop an action plan prepared in collaboration with the local school health advisory council to assist in implementation of health education and wellness policies.  The action plan shall identify steps that need to be taken each year to fully implement the policy and shall include a review and appropriate modification of existing physical education and health curricula.

     SECTION 2.  The department of education shall conduct a cost analysis study under the direction of the commissioner and the advisory board established pursuant to section 12 of chapter 6 to identify the annual costs associated with continuously funding comprehensive health education resources to be used by local health advisory councils to assist in meeting district health education action plans, goals and objectives.  The study shall be completed and reported to the general court and the governor by April, 2008.

     The department shall also notify each school district of the availability of professional development opportunities and resources in school health education issues.