HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3710        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3877

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tram T. Nguyen, (BY REQUEST)

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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 relative to health programs in schools.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3710        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3877

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to health programs in schools.

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. The General Court hereby finds and declares that:

(1) aspects of the current health curriculum taught in the commonwealth negatively impact students and their mental and physical health, particularly with regard to information relative to nutrition and eating disorders;

(2) health curriculum that requires students to analyze and track their food consumption may negatively affect students’ mental, physical and emotional health and foster disordered eating habits;

(3) the Massachusetts comprehensive health framework was last revised in 1999 and a revised framework is critical to the health and nutritional education of students in the commonwealth.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall review and revise the 1999 Massachusetts comprehensive health framework with particular focus on: (i) revising the nutritional education curriculum to foster healthful eating and physical activity through enhancing student agency and competence; (ii) increase student understanding about biology, personal behavior and access to nutritional foods, including navigating modern food systems, understanding food nutrition labels and addressing sedentary behavior; and (iii) recognition of disordered eating and how to recognize and address the development of disordered eating habits.

(b) Not later than June 30, 2022, the department of elementary and secondary education shall file a report with the joint committee on education detailing the proposed revisions to the 1999 Massachusetts comprehensive health framework.