III
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 441
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2014
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Franken) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
May 13, 2014
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Designating the week of May 1 through May 7, 2014, as National Physical Education and Sport Week
.
Whereas according to the 2012 Shape of the Nation Report, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States over the last 20 years, and obesity rates are high;
Whereas over 30 percent of children in the United States are overweight or obese;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 48 percent of high school students do not attend physical education classes in an average week;
Whereas according to Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 should engage in 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily, including aerobic, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening exercises;
Whereas regular physical activity is necessary to support normal and healthy growth in children and is essential to the continued health and well-being of children; and
Whereas Congress strongly supports efforts to increase physical activity and participation of children and youth in sports: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
designates the
week of May 1 through May 7, 2014, as National Physical Education and
Sport Week
;
recognizes National Physical Education and Sport Week and the central role of physical education and sports in creating a healthy lifestyle for all children and youth;
supports the implementation of local school wellness policies (as that term is described in section 9A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758b)) that include ambitious goals for physical education, physical activity, and other activities that address the childhood obesity epidemic and promote child wellness; and
encourages schools to offer physical education classes to students and work with community partners to provide opportunities and safe spaces for physical activities before and after school and during the summer months for all children and youth.