II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 651 

To help promote the national recommendation of physical activity to kids, 

families, and communities across the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2007 

Mr. HARKIN (for himself and Mrs. CLINTON) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To help promote the national recommendation of physical 

activity to kids, families, and communities across the 

United States. 

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 ‘‘Promoting Lifelong 

5 Active Communities Every Day Act’’ or the ‘‘PLAY Every 

6 Day Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

2 The purpose of this Act is to help children, families 

3 and communities achieve the national recommendation of 

4 60 minutes of physical activity every day. 

5 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 

7 (1) Health care costs in the United States are 

8 rising rapidly. Per capita health spending in the 

9 United States is 56 percent higher than the median 

10 for countries that are members of the Organization 

11 for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

12 (2) According to the Centers for Medicare and 

13 Medicaid Services, total health care spending in the 

14 United States in 2004 was $1,800,000,000,000 and 

15 is expected to rise to $3,600,000,000,000 by 2014. 

16 Furthermore, chronic disease accounts for approxi17 mately 75 percent of health care costs annually. 

18 (3) Chief executive officers rank health care 

19 costs as their number 1 economic pressure, and 

20 McKinsey and Company predicts that by 2008 the 

21 health care costs of the Fortune 500 companies will 

22 be greater than their net profits, if current trends 

23 continue. 

24 (4) Since the 1970s, the percentage rate of obe25 sity has more than doubled for preschool children 

26 aged 2–5 years and adolescents aged 12–19 years, 


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1 and it has more than tripled for children aged 6–11 

2 years. 

3 (5) The Institute of Medicine reported that in 

4 2004, approximately 9,000,000 children over 6 years 

5 of age were obese. 

6 (6) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre7 vention reported in 2000 that only 8 percent of ele8 mentary schools, 6.4 percent of middle and junior 

9 high schools, and 5.8 percent of senior high schools 

10 offer daily physical education or its equivalent for 

11 the entire school year for students in all grades of 

12 the school. 

13 (7) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre14 vention reported in 2000 that less than 50 percent 

15 of all schools offered any intramural activities or 

16 physical activity clubs for students. 

17 (8) A 2002 survey reported that 61.5 percent 

18 of children do not participate in any organized phys19 ical activity outside of school hours. 

20 (9) The Institute of Medicine reported in ‘‘Pre21 venting Childhood Obesity’’ (2004) that in 1969, an 

22 average of 48 percent of all students walked or bicy23 cled to school. In 1999, only 19 percent of children 

24 walked to or from school and 6 percent rode bicycles 

25 to school. 


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1 (10) Between 1977 and 1995, trips made by 

2 walking declined by 40 percent for adults while driv3 ing trips increased to almost 90 percent of the total. 

4 (11) The Institute of Medicine reported that 

5 due to vehicular traffic, high crime rates, and lack 

6 of sidewalks or open spaces, children often do not 

7 have safe places to play outside in many neighbor8 hoods. 

9 (12) Currently, many governmental, scientific, 

10 and public health agencies recommend that school11 age children and adolescents engage in at least 60 

12 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity 

13 that is developmentally appropriate and enjoyable, 

14 and which involves a variety of activities, on most, 

15 preferably all, days of the week. 

16 SEC. 4. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 

17 In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec18 retary of Health and Human Services. 

19 TITLE I—NATIONAL PROGRAM 

20 PROMOTING LIFELONG AC21 TIVE COMMUNITIES 

22 SEC. 101. DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY PLAY INDEX. 

23 (a) COMMUNITY PLAY INDEX.—The Secretary, act24 ing through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con25 trol and Prevention, shall develop a well-validated commuVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:00 Feb 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S651.IS S651

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1 nity measurement tool, which shall be known as the ‘‘Com2 munity Play Index’’, that can measure the policy, pro3 gram, or environmental barriers in communities to partici4 pating in physical activity. The Community Play Index 

5 shall include— 

6 (1) cross-cutting measurements that— 

7 (A) examine barriers to physical activities 

8 across multiple settings, including homes, after 

9 school and child care sites, schools, the commu10 nity at-large, and worksites; and 

11 (B) focus on the— 

12 (i) availability of adequate spaces and 

13 places for physical activity; 

14 (ii) availability of, and access to, qual15 ity physical activity and physical education 

16 programs; and 

17 (iii) the availability of programs, ac18 tivities, and leaders to educate about the 

19 importance of physical activity for the com20 munity; and 

21 (2) additional measurements to assist economi22 cally and culturally diverse communities in exam23 ining the social determinants of health. 


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1 (b) GUIDANCE AND TRAINING.—The Secretary shall 

2 provide guidance and develop training on utilizing the 

3 Community Play Index. 

4 SEC. 102. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING FUNDING. 

5 It is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary, act6 ing through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con7 trol and Prevention, shall carry out this title using any 

8 additional and available funds provided to the Secretary 

9 for the steps to a healthier United States program carried 

10 out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

11 TITLE II—MODEL COMMUNITIES 

12 OF PLAY IMPLEMENTATION 

13 GRANTS 

14 SEC. 201. MODEL COMMUNITIES OF PLAY IMPLEMENTA15 TION GRANTS. 

16 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 

18 through the Director of the Centers for Disease 

19 Control and Prevention, shall award 3 grants to 

20 State health departments to enable the State health 

21 departments to work in partnership with eligible 

22 community-based coalitions to plan and implement 

23 model communities of play that— 

24 (A) increase the physical spaces and places 

25 available for physical activity; 


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1 (B) increase the opportunities for children 

2 and families to participate in quality play, and 

3 the number of children and families partici4 pating in quality play; and 

5 (C) increase knowledge and awareness 

6 about the importance of individuals achieving 

7 60 minutes of recommended physical activity 

8 every day. 

9 (2) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—A grant awarded 

10 under this subsection shall be in the amount of 

11 $250,000. If the amounts appropriated under this 

12 Act for a fiscal year are not sufficient to support 3 

13 grants at such level, the Secretary shall ratably re14 duce the amount of all grants. 

15 (b) APPLICATION.—A State health department desir16 ing a grant under subsection (a) shall submit an applica17 tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

18 containing such information as the Secretary may require. 

19 (c) COORDINATION.—In awarding grants under sub20 section (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the proposed 

21 programs assisted under each grant are coordinated in 

22 substance and format with programs currently funded 

23 through other Federal departments and agencies, includ24 ing— 


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1 (1) State-based nutrition and physical activity 

2 programs, comprehensive school health education 

3 programs, and community-based health and wellness 

4 programs of the Centers for Disease Control and 

5 Prevention; 

6 (2) the physical education programs under sub7 part 10 of part D of title V of the Elementary and 

8 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7261 

9 et seq.; 

10 (3) the safe routes to schools program under 

11 section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Effi12 cient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

13 Users (23 U.S.C. 402 note; 119 Stat. 1228); and 

14 (4) other health and wellness programs oper15 ating within the community. 

16 (d) PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY COALITIONS.— 

17 A State health department receiving a grant under sub18 section (a) shall use grant funds to carry out the activities 

19 described in subsection (e) in partnership with 1 or more 

20 community coalitions that meet all of the following re21 quirements: 

22 (1) The community coalition is comprised of a 

23 representative sampling of community partners, in24 cluding not less than half of the different types of 


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1 individuals or entities described in subparagraphs 

2 (A) through (O): 

3 (A) A community-based organization that 

4 focuses on children and youth, preventive 

5 health, physical activity, or physical education. 

6 (B) A local parks and recreation depart7 ment. 

8 (C) A local health department. 

9 (D) A local educational agency, as defined 

10 in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec11 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

12 7801). 

13 (E) A local city planning agency. 

14 (F) A local health care provider. 

15 (G) A 4-year institution of higher edu16 cation, as defined in section 101 of the Higher 

17 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

18 (H) A tribal health facility, where applica19 ble. 

20 (I) A tribal educational agency, where ap21 plicable. 

22 (J) A Federally qualified health center or 

23 rural health clinic, where applicable. 

24 (K) A hospital. 

25 (L) A faith-based organization. 


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1 (M) A policymaker or elected official. 

2 (N) A community planning organization. 

3 (O) A business. 

4 (2) The community coalition completed and 

5 submitted to the State health department— 

6 (A) a Community Play Index developed 

7 under section 101 for the community that iden8 tifies the gaps and barriers to physical activity 

9 in the community to children and youth; and 

10 (B) a community action plan describing 

11 the programs, policy, and environmental change 

12 strategies that will be implemented with grant 

13 funds to help children and youth in the commu14 nity reach the recommended 60 minutes of 

15 physical activity every day. 

16 (3) The community coalition provided— 

17 (A) documentation to the State health de18 partment on the manner in which the coalition 

19 will coordinate with appropriate State and local 

20 authorities, including— 

21 (i) State or local health departments; 

22 (ii) State educational agencies or local 

23 educational agencies, as defined in section 

24 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 

25 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801); 


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1 (iii) State or local parks and recre2 ation departments or associations; 

3 (iv) State or local departments of 

4 transportation or city planning; 

5 (v) community foundations; and 

6 (vi) any other entities determined to 

7 be appropriate by the Secretary; and 

8 (B) a description of the manner in which 

9 the coalition will evaluate the effectiveness of 

10 the programs carried out with grant funds. 

11 (e) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—A State health de12 partment that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall 

13 use funds available through the grant to carry out the fol14 lowing activities: 

15 (1) Train community-based coalitions on how to 

16 utilize the Community Play Index to measure the 

17 program, policy, and environmental barriers to pro18 moting lifelong physical activity for youth. 

19 (2) Work in partnership with community coali20 tions described in subsection (d) to enable the com21 munity coalitions to carry out the coalition’s commu22 nity action plan and promote a model community of 

23 play, which may include the following: 

24 (A) Enabling the maximum use of, or the 

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1 ity for children, families, and communities be2 fore, during, and after school or work, which 

3 may include increasing the number of— 

4 (i) programs that increase the number 

5 of safe streets and sidewalks in the com6 munity to walk and bike to school, work, 

7 or other community destinations, such as 

8 recreation sites, parks, or community cen9 ters; 

10 (ii) schools, faith-based organizations, 

11 and recreational facilities serving the com12 munity that provide programming on phys13 ical activity and physical education before, 

14 during, or after school; 

15 (iii) schools serving the community 

16 that provide recess, physical education, and 

17 physical activity for children and youth; 

18 (iv) day care, child care, and after 

19 school care sites in the community that 

20 provide physical activity for children and 

21 youth; 

22 (v) venues in the community that pro23 vide co-curricular physical activity pro24 grams, including sports fields and courts, 

25 especially venues for all-inclusive intraVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:00 Feb 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S651.IS S651

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1 mural programs and physical activity 

2 clubs; 

3 (vi) playgrounds and activity sites in 

4 the community for young children, includ5 ing sites that offer programs that provide 

6 physical activity instruction that meet the 

7 various needs and interests of all students, 

8 including those with illness, injury, and 

9 physical and developmental disabilities, as 

10 well as those that live sedentary lifestyles 

11 or with a disinterest in traditional team 

12 sports; 

13 (vii) capital improvement projects that 

14 increase opportunities for physical activity 

15 in the community; and 

16 (viii) networks of walking and cycling 

17 trails where trails do not exist in the com18 munity, that offer both a functional alter19 native to automobile travel and an oppor20 tunity for exercise, recreation, and commu21 nity connectedness. 

22 (B) Enhancing opportunities and access 

23 for children and youth in the community to par24 ticipate in quality physical activity and physical 

25 education programs before, during, and after 


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1 school, which may include increasing the num2 ber of— 

3 (i) school and after school care sites 

4 in the community that implement proven 

5 health curricula, physical education (in6 cluding developing innovative approaches 

7 to teaching and staffing, physical edu8 cation), and physical activity programming; 

9 (ii) children and youth in the commu10 nity that are able to participate in physical 

11 education or activity during and after 

12 school, by ensuring that adequate equip13 ment is available to such children and 

14 youth; 

15 (iii) scholarships to low-income chil16 dren and youth for physical activity pro17 grams; 

18 (iv) education and training programs 

19 for education, recreation, leisure, child 

20 care, and coaching professionals regarding 

21 quality physical education and physical ac22 tivity programs and policies; 

23 (v) training programs to assist physi24 cians in— 


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1 (I) carefully communicating the 

2 results of body mass index (BMI) 

3 tests to parents and, in an age-appro4 priate manner, to the children and 

5 youth themselves; 

6 (II) providing information to 

7 families so they may make informed 

8 decisions about physical activity and 

9 nutrition; and 

10 (III) explaining the benefits asso11 ciated with physical activity and the 

12 risks associated with childhood over13 weight and obesity; 

14 (vi) assessment tools used to measure 

15 the quality of physical activity, sports, and 

16 intramural sports programs; 

17 (vii) guidelines and informational ma18 terials used by teachers, parents, care19 givers, and health-care professionals who 

20 are interested in promoting physical activ21 ity for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; 

22 and 

23 (viii) guidelines and informational ma24 terials used to promote physical activity 

25 with the intent of improving the current 


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1 health, fitness, and wellness of preadoles2 cent children (ages 6 through 12) as well 

3 as to promote lifelong physical activity. 

4 (C) Identifying, engaging and mobilizing 

5 community leaders, decision-makers, experts, 

6 and the media to raise awareness and educate 

7 the public about the importance of securing 60 

8 minutes of physical activity every day, which 

9 may include increasing the number of— 

10 (i) school and after school care faculty 

11 and staff, including coaches, that serve as 

12 positive role models for students regarding 

13 regular physical activity; 

14 (ii) businesses that serve as role mod15 els by providing physical space and incen16 tives for employees to participate in phys17 ical activity; 

18 (iii) businesses that serve as role mod19 els to communities by— 

20 (I) providing support to intra21 mural teams, clubs, sports leagues, 

22 playgrounds, trails, biking and walk23 ing paths, and fields and venues for 

24 sports, play, and physical activity; 


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1 (II) incorporating built environ2 ment strategies into new construction 

3 of facilities; 

4 (III) adopting safe routes to 

5 school programs; 

6 (IV) providing bike racks at the 

7 office; and 

8 (V) encouraging the use of the 

9 stairs; 

10 (iv) insurers that provide incentives 

11 for maintaining healthy body weight, in12 cluding offering screening and obesity pre13 vention services in routine clinical practice; 

14 (v) groups representing low-income in15 dividuals or individuals with disabilities, 

16 that can promote and secure safer and 

17 more accessible sites for activity; 

18 (vi) consumer research-driven mar19 keting strategies for ongoing initiatives 

20 and interventions that enhance physical ac21 tivity for children and youth; 

22 (vii) products and opportunities pro23 vided or offered by leisure, entertainment, 

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1 ular physical activity and reduce sedentary 

2 behaviors; 

3 (viii) media advocacy training pro4 grams for public health and exercise sci5 entists so as to empower the scientists to 

6 disseminate their knowledge to a broad au7 dience; and 

8 (ix) campaigns to foster awareness 

9 about the health benefits of regular phys10 ical activity of not less than 60 minutes a 

11 day for all children and youth. 

12 (3) To support the evaluation of the community 

13 action plans of the community coalitions and the ac14 tivities carried out under this Act. 

15 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

16 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 

17 $750,000 for fiscal year 2008. 

Æ 


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