Requires certain school districts to include fitness and nutrition wellness program as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

A1608

ASSEMBLY, No. 1608

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

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PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain school districts to include fitness
and nutrition wellness program as part of implementation of New Jersey Student
Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning fitness and nutrition instruction for
certain students and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey
Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:

���� a.���� Childhood obesity has
reached epidemic levels in the United States. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, for children and adolescents between the ages
of two and 19, the prevalence of obesity is 19.3 percent and it affects approximately
14.4 million children and adolescents.

���� b.��� Childhood obesity is a
complex issue that has biological, behavioral, social, economic, environmental,
and cultural causes which over decades have led to an adverse environment for
maintaining a healthy weight.

���� c.���� Childhood obesity may
significantly undermine a person�s health and well-being throughout their
lives, often leading to social stigma and physical or psychological conditions
including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and steatohepatitis (fatty liver disease).

���� d.��� Recognizing that many
factors play a role in childhood obesity, school districts should incorporate
into their curriculum all-inclusive fitness and nutritional wellness programs
that teach children, teens, and their families how to live healthier lifestyles.

���� 2.��� a.� A school district
that includes grades kindergarten through six shall develop and incorporate a
fitness and nutritional wellness program into the district�s curriculum as part
of its implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive
Health and Physical Education. The purpose of the educational program shall be
to reduce childhood and adolescent obesity by promoting healthy lifestyle
habits, including physical activity and good nutrition.

���� b.��� The program required
pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, include:

���� (1)�� an overview of the
different types of foods and food groups, including information on how to
differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods;

���� (2)�� instruction concerning
the impact that an adequate and well-balanced diet has on an individual�s
overall physical and mental health;

���� (3)�� instruction concerning
the impact that exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle has on an
individual�s overall physical and mental health; and

���� (4)�� workshops or other
events informing students and their parents or guardians of the importance of a
well-balanced diet and exercise on an individual�s overall physical and mental
health.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first be applicable in the first full school year
next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires each school
district that includes grades kindergarten through six to develop and
incorporate a fitness and nutritional wellness program into the district�s curriculum
as part of its implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in
Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The purpose of the educational
program is to reduce childhood and adolescent obesity by promoting healthy
lifestyle habits, including physical activity and good nutrition.

���� Under the bill, the wellness
program is required, at a minimum, to include:

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an overview of
the different types of foods and food groups, including information on how to
differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods;

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instruction
concerning the impact that an adequate and well-balanced diet has on an
individual�s overall physical and mental health;

�

instruction
concerning the impact that exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle has on
an individual�s overall physical and mental health; and

�

workshops or
other events informing students and their parents or guardians of the
importance of a well-balanced diet and exercise on an individual�s overall
physical and mental health.