A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT directing the state board of education to Study K‑12 Physical education in the public schools.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The State Board of Education shall study the current status of K‑12 physical education in North Carolina.  Each local school administrative unit shall collect baseline data at the individual school level and report the baseline data to the Department of Public Instruction for analysis.  At a minimum, the baseline data shall include:
(1)	Minutes in physical education on a weekly basis throughout the school year for every school;
(2)	Number of physical education classes per week throughout the school year for every school;
(3)	Average physical education class size for every school;
(4)	Student Body Mass Index (BMI) data for a statistically valid random sample of students of various ages from all 100 counties; and
(5)	Nutrition and physical activity knowledge and behaviors of the same random sample of students.
The baseline BMI data shall not be self‑reported by students or parents but shall be collected by a trained professional such as a school nurse or physical education teacher. The data shall be compiled in a single, statewide, publicly accessible database hosted by an entity approved by the Department of Public Instruction. Ideally, the data will be made available in a manner that can be sorted by individual school, local school administrative unit, and county. Local school administrative units shall seek guidance from the Department of Public Instruction in determining the appropriate sample size for the BMI data.
The State Board of Education shall report the data to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee prior to December 1, 2008.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2008.