Resolve, To Establish a Schoolchildren's Well-being Stakeholder Group
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0758
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs and the Committee on Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BOLAND, PATRICK, BERRY, CASAVANT, FOSSEL, JOHNSON, LAJOIE, MAKER, PETERSON, STEVENS

Legislative Document 
No. 758 
H.P. 565 
House of Representatives, March 1, 2011 
Resolve, To Establish a Schoolchildren's Well-being Stakeholder 
Group 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Committee on 
Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative BOLAND of Sanford. 
Cosponsored by Senator PATRICK of Oxford and 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, CASAVANT of Biddeford, FOSSEL of Alna, 
JOHNSON of Greenville, LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, PETERSON of Rumford, 
STEVENS of Bangor. 
Sec. 1.  Schoolchildren's well-being stakeholder group established.  
Resolved:  That the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human 
Services, referred to in this resolve as "the departments," shall, within existing budgeted 
resources, jointly convene a schoolchildren's well-being stakeholder group, referred to in 
this resolve as "the stakeholder group"; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Stakeholder group membership.  Resolved:  That the departments 
shall invite participation in the stakeholder group by: 
1.  Representatives from academia involved in food science research or studies; 
2. Representatives from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; 
3.  Researchers or executives from the food science industry; 
4.  School nutritionists; 
5.  School nurses; 
6.  Special education teachers and other teachers; 
7.  Parents of schoolchildren; and 
8.  Any other interested parties; and be it further 
Sec. 3.  Duties.  Resolved:  That the stakeholder group shall identify options and 
alternatives to improve and maintain the nutritional well-being of schoolchildren. In 
undertaking its work under this section, the stakeholder group's goal is to make 
recommendations to improve childhood health and student performance through 
nutritional strategies that include food choices and dietary supplementation with 
particular emphasis on addressing childhood behavioral disorders, attention deficit and 
attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum disorders and child obesity; and 
be it further 
Sec. 4.  Report.  Resolved: That, no later than December 15, 2011, the 
departments shall jointly submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services 
that includes the findings of the stakeholder group, the options and alternatives developed 
by the stakeholder group and any analysis by the departments of those options and 
alternatives. The report may include suggested legislation. The Joint Standing Committee 
on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Education and 
Cultural Affairs may each submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 125th 
Legislature related to the report of the departments. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve requires the Department of Education and the Department of Health and 
Human Services to jointly convene a stakeholder group to identify options and 
alternatives to improve and maintain the nutritional well-being of schoolchildren. In 
particular, the focus of the stakeholder group will be to explore ways and make 
recommendations to address childhood behavioral disorders, attention deficit and 
attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum disorders and child obesity 
through nutritional strategies that include food choices and dietary supplementation. The 
departments are required to present the work of the stakeholder group to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee 
on Health and Human Services and may suggest legislation to the joint standing 
committees, which may each submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 
125th Legislature.