School curriculum; require students to receive additional instruction in healthy living.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 192

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-134, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE TWENTY HOURS PER 2
SCHOOL YEAR OF HEALTHY LIVING INSTRUCTION AND TO REQUIRE THE 3
HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROMOTE THE 4
MAKING OF HEALTHY CHOICES IN NUTRITION, EXERCISE AND BEHAVIOR; AND 5
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Section 37-13-134, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 8
amended as follows: 9
37-13-134. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there is a 10
problem with Mississippi student inactivity and obesity, and 11
therefore, requires school districts to adhere to the following 12
guidelines for school district physical education, health 13
education and physical activity and fitness classes: 14
(a) Kindergarten through Grade 8: One hundred fifty 15
(150) minutes per week of physical activity-based instruction and 16
forty-five (45) minutes per week of health education and healthy 17
living instruction, as defined by the State Board of Education. 18
(b) Grades 9 through 12: One-half (1/2) Carnegie unit 19
requirement in physical education or physical activity for 20
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graduation and twenty (20) hours per school year of healthy living 21
instruction. Beginning with the 2015-2016 Ninth Grade class, an 22
instructional component on the proper administration of 23
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated 24
external defibrillator (AED) shall be included as part of the 25
physical education or health education curriculum. The curricula 26
shall incorporate into the instruction the psychomotor skills 27
necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an 28
automated external defibrillator as follows: 29
(i) An instructional program developed by the 30
American Heart Association or the American Red Cross; 31
(ii) An instructional program which is nationally 32
recognized and is based on the most current national 33
evidence-based Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for 34
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external 35
defibrillator; 36
(iii) A licensed teacher shall not be required to 37
be a certified trainer of cardiopulmonary resuscitation * * * to 38
facilitate, provide or oversee such instruction for 39
noncertification; and 40
(iv) Courses which result in a certification being 41
earned must be taught by an authorized CPR/AED instructor. 42
For purposes of this paragraph (b), the term "psychomotor 43
skills" means the use of hands-on practicing to support cognitive 44
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learning. Cognitive-only training does not qualify as 45
"psychomotor skills." 46
The requirements of this paragraph (b) shall be minimum 47
requirements. Any local school district shall be authorized to 48
offer CPR and AED instruction for longer periods of time than 49
required herein, and may enhance the curriculum and training 50
components. 51
(c) The State Department of Education shall establish a 52
procedure for monitoring adherence by school boards to the 53
requirements set forth in this section. 54
All instruction in physical education, health education and 55
physical activity must be age and grade appropriate and based on 56
the most current state standards provided by the State Department 57
of Education. The health education curriculum must promote the 58
making of healthy choices in nutrition, exercise and behavior. 59
(2) * * * Each local school board shall, consistent with 60
regulations adopted by the State Board of Education, adopt a 61
school wellness plan which shall promote a healthy lifestyle for 62
Mississippi's school children and staff. * * * The school 63
wellness plan shall also promote increased physical activity, 64
healthy eating habits and abstinence from the use of tobacco and 65
illegal drugs through programs that incorporate healthy lifestyle 66
choices into core subject areas which may be developed in 67
partnership with the Institute for America's Health. 68
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(3) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the State 69
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Department of 70
Health, shall have the authority to establish a school health 71
pilot program to improve student health so that all students can 72
fully participate and be successful in school. The school health 73
pilot program shall be implemented in local school districts, as 74
provided in Section 37-13-134.1. 75
(4) The Legislature shall appropriate sufficient 76
state-source funds for the State Department of Education to employ 77
a physical activity coordinator to assist districts on current and 78
effective practices and on implementation of physical education 79
and physical activity programs. 80
(5) The physical activity coordinator employed under Section 81
37-13-133 must have the qualifications prescribed in any of the 82
following paragraphs, which are listed in the order of preference: 83
(a) A doctorate in physical education, exercise science 84
or a highly related field, and at least three (3) years of 85
experience in teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in 86
physical activity promotion/fitness leadership; or 87
(b) A master's degree in physical education, exercise 88
science or a highly related field, and at least five (5) years of 89
experience in teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in 90
physical activity promotion/fitness leadership; or 91
(c) A bachelor's degree in physical education, a 92
teacher's license, and at least seven (7) years of experience in 93
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teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in physical activity 94
promotion/fitness leadership. 95
(6) The Governor's Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports 96
created under Section 7-1-551 et seq., the Mississippi Council on 97
Obesity Prevention and Management created under Section 41-101-1 98
et seq., the Task Force on Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention 99
created under Section 41-103-1 et seq., the Mississippi Alliance 100
for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the 101
Mississippi Alliance for School Health shall provide 102
recommendations to the State Department of Education regarding the 103
employment of the physical activity coordinator. The department 104
shall consider the recommendations of those entities in employing 105
the physical activity coordinator. 106
(7) The physical activity coordinator shall present a state 107
physical activity plan each year to the Governor's Commission on 108
Physical Fitness and Sports, the Mississippi Council on Obesity 109
Prevention and Management, the Task Force on Heart Disease and 110
Stroke Prevention, the Mississippi Alliance for Health, Physical 111
Education, Recreation and Dance, and the Mississippi Alliance for 112
School Health. 113
(8) The physical activity coordinator shall monitor the 114
districts for adherence to current Mississippi school 115
accountability standards and for implementation of the physical 116
education curriculum on file with the State Department of 117
Education. The State Department of Education shall monitor and 118
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act as a clearinghouse for the activities of the local school 119
health councils established * * * under subsection (9) of this 120
section. 121
(9) (a) The local school board of each school district 122
shall establish a local school health council for each school 123
which shall ensure that local community values are reflected in 124
the local school's wellness plan to address school health. * * * 125
These councils shall be established no later than November 1, 126
2006. 127
(b) The local school health council's duties shall 128
include, but not be limited to, the following: 129
(i) Recommend age-appropriate curriculum and the 130
number of hours of instruction to be provided in health and 131
physical activity-based education, provided that the number of 132
hours shall not be less than that required by this section; 133
(ii) Recommend appropriate practices that include 134
a coordinated approach to school health designed to prevent 135
obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes and other health 136
risks, through coordination of: 137
1. Health education; 138
2. Physical education; 139
3. Nutritional services; 140
4. Parental/Community involvement; 141
5. Instruction to prevent the use of tobacco, 142
drugs and alcohol; 143
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6. Physical activity; 144
7. Health services; 145
8. Healthy environment; 146
9. Counseling and psychological services; 147
10. Healthy lifestyles; and 148
11. Staff wellness * * *; 149
(iii) Provide guidance on the development and 150
implementation of the local school wellness plan. 151
(c) The local school board shall appoint members to the 152
local school health council. At a minimum, the school board shall 153
appoint one (1) person from each of the following groups: 154
(i) Parents who are not employed by the school 155
district; 156
(ii) The director of local school food services; 157
(iii) Public schoolteachers; 158
(iv) Public school administrators; 159
(v) District students; 160
(vi) Health care professionals; 161
(vii) The business community; 162
(viii) Law enforcement; 163
(ix) Senior citizens; 164
(x) The clergy; 165
(xi) Nonprofit health organizations; and 166
(xii) Faith-based organizations. 167
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ST: School curriculum; require students to
receive additional instruction in healthy
living.
(10) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit 168
or limit the sale or distribution of any food or beverage item 169
through fund-raisers conducted by students, teachers, school 170
groups, or parent groups when the items are intended for sale off 171
the school campus. 172
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 173
and after July 1, 2026. 174