GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 166*

Short Title:  Physical Fitness Act.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Aldridge; Bonner, Sexton, and Sutton.

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Referred to:  Human Resources, if favorable, Appropriations.

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February 13, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH AND FUND PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAMS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE HEART DISEASE AND STROKE PREVENTION TASK FORCE.
Whereas, the health and physical fitness of our youth are critical to the future of our State and our nation; and
Whereas, studies have shown that many of our children are in poor physical condition; and
Whereas, nationally, 6 out of 10 youth exhibit at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease by the age of 12; and
Whereas, North Carolina youth exhibit poorer cardiovascular fitness, have a higher percent body fat, and are less flexible than their peers nationally; and
Whereas, 21% of North Carolina's youth watch six or more hours of television every day.  This is the largest percentage in the nation; and
Whereas, in North Carolina, the average elementary school student has instruction from a certified physical educator less than twice per week; and
Whereas, 60% of North Carolina adults live sedentary lifestyles; and
Whereas, the annual costs of cardiovascular disease to the health care system in the United States in 1996 were estimated to have been $151 billion, a 9% increase from the previous year; and
Whereas, increased physical activity in both children and adults has been proven to reduce the incidence of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and 
Whereas, experts in this area agree that, for children, school physical education class is the opportune setting for teaching lifetime physical activity skills and instilling positive attitudes toward physical fitness; and
Whereas, for adults, workplace fitness programs and local community based physical activity programs are the most successful mechanisms for improving fitness levels; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. (a) The purposes of this act are to:
(1)	Improve the fitness of North Carolina's youth through the establishment of an interschool physical education mentoring program;
(2)	Provide a community-based approach to addressing the physical fitness needs of all North Carolinians through the encouragement of development of local fitness councils in each of the State's 100 counties;
(3)	Utilize, in a coordinated fashion, the educational and training resources and services that have been developed by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health and other appropriate organizations;
(4)	Raise awareness of the general public about the importance of physical activity in preventing stroke and heart disease;
(5)	Adequately fund these programs; and
(6)	Provide lasting improvement in the fitness and physical well-being of North Carolinians, thus providing the State's citizens with an improved quality of life and society with the reduction of health care costs.
(b) There is established the 1997-98 Youth Fitness Mentoring Program in the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health. Under this program the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health shall provide grants to enable 12 "model”schools that are former recipients of the Governor's Award for Youth Fitness to partner with 12 "aspiring”schools that are trying to meet the requirements for the Governor's Award so that physical educators may share ideas and expertise.  Under this program, the Council shall do the following:
(1)	Identify and partner the most appropriate local schools to carry out the program; 
(2)	Provide training and support to public school personnel to ensure the successful implementation of the program;
(3)	Provide opportunities for physical educators at aspiring schools to borrow curricula and innovative teaching techniques from physical educators at model schools and encourage the implementation of improvements;
(4)	Improve exercise and lifestyle activity habits of children at aspiring and model schools within one school year;
(5)	Improve the fitness of children at aspiring and model schools; and 
(6)	Conduct a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the impact of the mentoring program on students and physical educators at aspiring and model schools.
(c) There is established the Local Fitness Council Development Program in the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health. The purpose of the program shall be to encourage the development of local fitness councils in each county in North Carolina where one does not currently exist. Under this program, the Council shall do the following:
(1)	Work with and provide technical assistance to community leaders, including but not limited to, county commissioners, in each North Carolina county to encourage the development of local fitness councils and the development of community-based strategies to build and maintain the highest quality of physical fitness and health services; 
(2)	Develop intervention strategies to address the physical fitness needs of each county's residents;
(3)	Develop community-level indicators to annually measure health status;
(4)	Allocate grant funds to offset start-up costs of local fitness councils;
(5)	Encourage community-based health programs;
(6)	Promote good health and disease prevention in schools and workplaces;
(7)	Establish a local fitness council in all 100 North Carolina counties by June 30, 1999; and
(8)	Establish community-level indicators and objectives for improving the fitness of North Carolinians in each county by June 30, 1998.
(d) In implementing the programs established under subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Department shall ensure that sufficient staff are available and trained to effectively implement each program.
Section 2. (a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the Youth Fitness Mentoring Program established under Section 1 of this act.
(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year and the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the Local Fitness Council Development Program established under Section 1 of this act.
Section 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 1997.