I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3772 

To reduce childhood obesity, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 20, 2015 

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. KIND, Mr. NOLAN, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. HASTINGS, and 

Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 

Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To reduce childhood obesity, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Obesity in 

5 Schools Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 

8 (1) It is estimated that 34.9 percent (78.6 mil9 lion) of American adults and 17 percent 


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1 (12,700,000) of American children are overweight or 

2 obese. 

3 (2) The prevalence of obesity among children 

4 aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 30 

5 years, going from 7 percent in 1980 to 17.7 percent 

6 in 2012. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 

7 more than quadrupled, increasing from 5 percent to 

8 20.5 percent. 

9 (3) An estimated 70 percent of overweight 

10 young people have at least 1 additional risk factor 

11 for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high 

12 blood pressure. In addition, children who are over13 weight are at greater risk for bone and joint prob14 lems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological prob15 lems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. 

16 (4) According to the Centers for Disease Con17 trol and Prevention (CDC), obesity-related medical 

18 costs in the United States are approximately 

19 $147,000,000,000. On average, medical spending for 

20 an obese individual is $1,429 higher per year than 

21 for someone of normal weight. 

22 (5) A report released by Trust for America’s 

23 Health, entitled ‘‘F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies 

24 are Failing in America’’, found that the United 


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1 States does not have an aggressive, coordinated na2 tional strategy as needed to address this crisis. 

3 SEC. 3. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBE4 SITY. 

5 The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in co6 operation with State, local, and tribal governments, Fed7 eral agencies, local educational agencies, health care pro8 viders, the research community, and the private sector, 

9 shall develop a national strategy to reduce childhood obe10 sity in the United States. Such strategy shall— 

11 (1) provide for the reduction of childhood obe12 sity rates by 10 percent by the year 2020; 

13 (2) address both short- and long-term solutions 

14 to reducing the rates of childhood obesity in the 

15 United States; 

16 (3) identify how the Federal Government can 

17 work effectively with State, local, and tribal govern18 ments, local educational agencies, health care pro19 viders, the research community, the private sector, 

20 and other entities as necessary to implement the 

21 strategy; and 

22 (4) include measures to identify and overcome 

23 all obstacles to achieving the goal of reducing child24 hood obesity in the United States. 


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1 SEC. 4. GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES AND 

2 TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT WELLNESS 

3 POLICIES AND ANTI-OBESITY INITIATIVES. 

4 (a) GRANTS.—The Director of the Centers for Dis5 ease Control and Prevention shall make grants to local 

6 educational agencies and tribal governments to reduce 

7 childhood obesity by adopting wellness policies and anti8 obesity initiatives. 

9 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—As a condition on the receipt 

10 of a grant under this section, a local educational agency 

11 or tribal government shall agree to use the grant to reduce 

12 childhood obesity by adopting wellness policies and anti13 obesity initiatives, which may include one or more of the 

14 following: 

15 (1) Strategies to improve the nutritional value 

16 of food served on school campuses. 

17 (2) Innovative ways to incorporate nutrition 

18 education into the curriculum from prekindergarten 

19 through grade 12. 

20 (3) Increased physical activity in during- and 

21 after-school activities. 

22 (4) Any other measure that, in the determina23 tion of the Director, may provide a significant im24 provement in the health and wellness of children. 

25 (c) COST SHARING.—As a condition on the receipt 

26 of a grant under this section, a local educational agency 


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1 or tribal government shall agree to pay, from funds de2 rived from non-Federal sources, not less than 25 percent 

3 of the costs of the activities carried out with the grant. 

4 (d) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec5 tion, a local educational agency or tribal government shall 

6 submit an application to the Director at such time, in such 

7 manner, and containing such information as the Director 

8 may require. 

9 (e) ANNUAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.—As a condi10 tion on the receipt of a grant under this section, a local 

11 educational agency or tribal government shall agree to 

12 submit an annual accountability report to the Director. 

13 Each such report shall include a description of the degree 

14 to which the agency or government, in using grant funds, 

15 has made progress in reducing childhood obesity. 

16 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

17 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

18 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. 

19 SEC. 5. EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS FOR THE PREVENTION 

20 OF OBESITY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLES21 CENTS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose described in sub23 section (b), the Director shall (directly or through grants 

24 or contracts awarded to public or nonprofit private enti25 ties) arrange for the evaluation of a wide variety of existVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:29 Oct 21, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3772.IH H3772

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1 ing programs designed in whole or in part to prevent obe2 sity in children and adolescents, including programs that 

3 do not receive grants from the Federal Government for 

4 operation. 

5 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the evaluation under 

6 this section shall be to determine the following: 

7 (1) The effectiveness of programs in reducing 

8 obesity in children and adolescents. 

9 (2) The factors contributing to the effectiveness 

10 of the programs. 

11 (3) The feasibility of replicating the programs 

12 in other locations. 

13 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall sub15 mit a report to the Congress on the results of the evalua16 tion under this section. 

17 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

18 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

19 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. 

20 SEC. 6. HEALTHY LIVING AND WELLNESS COORDINATING 

21 COUNCILS. 

22 (a) GRANTS.—The Director shall make grants on a 

23 competitive basis to State, local, or tribal governments, 

24 and consortia of such governments, to reduce childhood 

25 obesity through— 


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1 (1) establishing or expanding healthy living and 

2 wellness coordinating councils; and 

3 (2) supporting regional workshops. 

4 (b) USES OF FUNDS.—As a condition on the receipt 

5 of a grant under this section, an entity shall agree to use 

6 the grant to carry out one or more of the following: 

7 (1) Establishing a healthy living and wellness 

8 coordinating council. 

9 (2) Expanding the activities of a healthy living 

10 and wellness coordinating council, including by im11 plementing State-based or regionwide activities that 

12 will reduce the rates of childhood obesity. 

13 (3) Supporting regional workshops designed to 

14 permit educators, administrators, health care pro15 viders, and other relevant parties to share successful 

16 research-based strategies for increasing healthy liv17 ing and reducing obesity in elementary and sec18 ondary schools. 

19 (c) COUNCIL REQUIREMENTS.—In this section, the 

20 term ‘‘healthy living and wellness coordinating council’’ 

21 means an organization that— 

22 (1) is charged by a State government, a local 

23 or tribal government, or a consortium of local or 

24 tribal governments, as applicable, to increase healthy 


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1 living and reduce obesity in elementary and sec2 ondary schools; and 

3 (2) is composed of educators, administrators, 

4 health care providers, and other relevant parties. 

5 (d) COST SHARING.—As a condition on the receipt 

6 of a grant under this section, an entity shall agree to pay, 

7 from funds derived from non-Federal sources, not less 

8 than 25 percent of the costs of the activities carried out 

9 with the grant. 

10 (e) ANNUAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.—As a condi11 tion on the receipt of a grant under this section, an entity 

12 shall agree to submit an annual accountability report to 

13 the Director. Each such report shall include a description 

14 of the degree to which the entity, in using grant funds, 

15 has made progress in increasing healthy living and reduc16 ing obesity in elementary and secondary schools. 

17 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

18 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

19 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. 

20 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 

23 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

24 (2) The term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has 

25 the meaning given to that term in section 9101 of 


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1 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

2 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

Æ 


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