I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2816 
To support and encourage the health and well-being of elementary school 
and secondary school students by enhancing school physical education 
and health education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 12, 2011 
Ms. FUDGE introduced the following bill 
AUGUST 30, 2011 
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To support and encourage the health and well-being of ele-
mentary school and secondary school students by enhanc-
ing school physical education and health education. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Health as 
Youth Skills In Classrooms And Life Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Childhood obesity has reached epidemic pro-
portions in the United States. 
(2) Researchers estimate that the medical costs 
of the obesity epidemic in the United States may 
total $270,000,000,000 annually. 
(3) More than one-third of children and adoles-
cents are estimated to be overweight or obese. 
(4) Of all United States deaths from major 
chronic disease, 23 percent are linked to sedentary 
lifestyles that now begin at childhood. 
(5) Overweight adolescents have a 70- to 80- 
percent chance of becoming overweight adults, in-
creasing their risk for chronic disease, disability, and 
death. 
(6) Studies show that children born today, for 
the first time in 2 centuries, have a shorter life ex-
pectancy than their parents. 
(7) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention in 2006— 
(A) 1 in 5 students in grades 9–12 seri-
ously considers suicide; 
(B) 1 in 3 12th graders, 1 in 4 10th grad-
ers, and 1 in 10 8th graders binge drink; and 
(C) 1 in 10 children suffer mental illness 
causing some level of impairment. 
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(8) Studies show that— 
(A) students who receive social-psycho-
logical support and prevention have improved 
academic achievement; 
(B) instruction in personal and social skills 
improves decisionmaking and reduces risky 
health behaviors; and 
(C) comprehensive programs linking rig-
orous instruction with health, education, social 
services, and health services in schools can re-
duce absenteeism. 
(9) The American Association for Health Edu-
cation recommends that students receive a minimum 
of 50 hours of health education per year in order to 
ensure health literacy. 
(10) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, only 6.4 percent of elementary 
schools, 20.6 percent of middle schools, and 35.8 
percent of high schools require health instruction in 
all 14 recommended health topics and only 3.8 per-
cent of elementary schools, 7.8 percent of middle 
schools, and 2.1 percent of high schools provide daily 
physical education or its equivalent. 
(11) The Institute of Medicine in 2004 reported 
that enhanced school health education programs are 
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essential to developing a health literate society in the 
United States as the Nation faces increasing health 
care challenges. 
(12) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, studies suggest that physical 
activity can impact cognitive skills and attitudes, 
and important components of improved academic 
performance, including enhanced concentration and 
attention as well as improved classroom behavior. 
(13) The White House Task Force on Child-
hood Obesity Report recommends increasing the 
quality and frequency of sequential, age, and devel-
opmentally appropriate physical education for all 
students, taught by certified physical education 
teachers. 
(14) The National Association for Sport and 
Physical Education recommends that elementary 
school students receive 150 minutes per week of 
physical education and that middle school and high 
school students receive 225 minutes per week of 
physical education. 
(15) The American school system is already sit-
uated to reach 50,000,000 children and youth to 
provide the health and physical education they need 
and a place for them to engage in these behaviors, 
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such as nutritious eating and participating in phys-
ical activity. 
(16) Military readiness is vulnerable, as almost 
30 percent of 17- to 24-year-olds are too overweight 
to serve in the U.S. military. 
(17) Physical education and health education 
are critical to combating these harmful trends and 
are key components to educating the whole child. 
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF SAFE AND HEALTHY STUDENTS. 
Title II of the Department of Education Organization 
Act (20 U.S.C. 3411 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 221. OFFICE OF SAFE AND HEALTHY STUDENTS. 
‘‘(a) OFFICE OF SAFE AND HEALTHY STUDENTS.— 
There shall be an Office of Safe and Healthy Students 
(referred to in this section as the ‘Office’) in the Depart-
ment of Education to advise the Secretary on Depart-
mental matters related to health education, physical edu-
cation, and providing a safe and supportive school climate 
for students’ learning, including promoting the acquisition 
of knowledge and skills needed to be healthy, productive 
citizens. The Office shall assume the responsibilities of the 
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and expand such 
responsibilities and oversight for broader health and phys-
ical education issues. 
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‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT AND REPORTING.—The Of-
fice shall be under the direction of a Director, who 
shall be appointed by the Secretary and who shall 
report directly to the Deputy Secretary. 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Director shall— 
‘‘(A) promote health education activities 
designed to prevent, protect, and remediate the 
health and safety of students, including nutri-
tion, health literacy, mental health, bullying, 
physical activity, and drug and alcohol abuse; 
‘‘(B) promote physical education in ele-
mentary schools and secondary schools; 
‘‘(C) coordinate such activities within the 
Department of Education and with other agen-
cies and organizations sharing a similar mis-
sion, including the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the Department of Agri-
culture, and the Department of Justice; 
‘‘(D) administer, coordinate, and rec-
ommend policy for improving quality and excel-
lence of programs and activities that are de-
signed to— 
‘‘(i) provide financial assistance for 
activities that promote the health, safety, 
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and well-being of students in elementary 
schools, secondary schools, and institutions 
of higher education, that are carried out by 
State educational agencies, local edu-
cational agencies, tribal schools, and public 
or private nonprofit organizations; 
‘‘(ii) participate in the formulation 
and development of education program pol-
icy and legislative proposals and in overall 
Department policies related to health and 
safety promotion in schools; 
‘‘(iii) participate in interagency com-
mittees, groups, and partnerships related 
to health and safety promotion, that in-
cludes drug and violence prevention (in-
cluding bullying prevention), coordinating 
with other Federal agencies on issues re-
lated to comprehensive school health and 
physical education, and advising the Sec-
retary on the formulation of comprehensive 
policies related to school health and phys-
ical education; 
‘‘(iv) participate with other Federal 
agencies in the development of a national 
research agenda for health, physical activ-
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