HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1719        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 235

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to mandate recess for elementary school children.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/19/2017

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/31/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/3/2017

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

1/31/2017

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2017

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

2/3/2017

Jack Lewis

7th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

2/2/2017

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

2/3/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1719        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 235

By Ms. Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 235) of Marjorie C. Decker and others for legislation to mandate recess for elementary school children.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act to mandate recess for elementary school children.

 

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

Section 1G of Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following subsection:-

(1) All children in grades kindergarten through five attending public schools shall receive one hundred minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free-play recess each week so that there are at least twenty consecutive minutes of free-play recess per day. As used herein, the term "free play" means an unstructured environment, but which is supervised by appropriate school personnel or staff. Regulations promulgated by the department may not exclude recess from structured learning time requirements for elementary school children and may not increase the total number of hours required in the school year to meet the provisions of this subsection.