Senate File 161 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 161
BY SINCLAIR
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the physical education and physical
2 activities requirements that apply to students enrolled in
3 school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter
4 schools.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph g,
2 subparagraphs (1) and (2), Code 2023, are amended to read as
3 follows:
4 (1) All students physically able shall be required to
5 participate in physical education activities during each
6 semester they are enrolled in school except as otherwise
7 provided in this paragraph. A minimum of one-eighth unit each
8 semester is required. A twelfth grade student who meets the
9 requirements of this paragraph may shall be excused from the
10 physical education requirement by the principal of the school
11 in which the student is enrolled if the parent or guardian of
12 the student requests in writing that the student be excused
13 from the physical education requirement. A student who wishes
14 to be excused from the physical education requirement must be
15 seeking to be excused in order to enroll in academic courses
16 not otherwise available to the student, or be enrolled or
17 participating in one of the following:
18 (a) A work-based learning program or other educational
19 program authorized by the school which requires the student to
20 leave the school premises for specified periods of time during
21 the school day.
22 (b) An organized and supervised athletic program which
23 requires at least as much participation per week as one-eighth
24 unit of physical education.
25 (c) Show choir, marching band, or color guard, if the
26 student’s participation per week in show choir, marching
27 band, or color guard is at least equivalent to the per-week
28 participation required for one-eighth unit of physical
29 education.
30 (2) Students in grades nine through eleven may be excused
31 from the physical education requirement in order to enroll in
32 academic courses not otherwise available to the student if the
33 board of directors of the school district in which the school
34 is located, or the authorities in charge of the school, if the
35 school is a nonpublic school, determine that students from
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 S.F. 161
1 the school may be permitted to be excused from the physical
2 education requirement. A student may shall be excused from
3 the physical education requirement by the principal of the
4 school in which the student is enrolled, in consultation with
5 the student’s counselor, for up to one semester, trimester,
6 or the equivalent of a semester or trimester, per year if the
7 parent or guardian of the student requests in writing that the
8 student be excused from the physical education requirement.
9 The student seeking to be excused from the physical education
10 requirement must, at some time during the period for which the
11 excuse is sought, be a participant in show choir, marching
12 band, color guard, or an organized and supervised athletic
13 program which requires at least as much time of participation
14 per week as one-eighth unit of physical education.
15 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 6, paragraph b,
16 subparagraph (2), Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
17 (2) All physically able students in grades six through
18 twelve shall be required to engage in a physical activity
19 for a minimum of one hundred twenty minutes per week. A
20 student participating in an organized and supervised athletic
21 program, show choir, marching band, or color guard, or
22 non-school-sponsored extracurricular activity which requires
23 the student to participate in physical activity for a minimum
24 of one hundred twenty minutes per week is exempt from the
25 requirements of this subparagraph.
26 EXPLANATION
27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
29 This bill relates to the physical education and physical
30 activities requirements that apply to students enrolled in
31 school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter
32 schools.
33 Current law requires that all students enrolled in school
34 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools
35 who are physically able are required to participate in a
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 S.F. 161
1 minimum of one-eighth unit of physical education activities
2 during each semester they are enrolled in school. Current law
3 provides that a student enrolled in grade 12 may be excused
4 from this requirement by the school principal if the student’s
5 parent or guardian requests that the student be excused from
6 the requirement to take part in certain specified activities.
7 The bill modifies this provision to provide that a student
8 enrolled in grade 12 shall be excused from this requirement
9 by the school principal if the student’s parent or guardian
10 requests that the student be excused from the requirement
11 to take part in the activities, and the bill adds to the
12 list of activities for which a student may be excused show
13 choir, marching band, and color guard. The bill requires
14 that the student’s participation per week in show choir,
15 marching band, or color guard be at least equivalent to the
16 per-week participation required for one-eighth unit of physical
17 education.
18 Current law provides that a student enrolled in grades 9
19 through 11 may be excused from the requirement related to
20 physical education activities by the principal of the school
21 in which the student is enrolled, in consultation with the
22 student’s counselor, for up to one semester, trimester, or
23 the equivalent, per year if the board of directors or the
24 authorities in charge of the school determine that students
25 from the school may be permitted to be excused from the
26 physical education requirement and if the student’s parent or
27 guardian requests in writing that the student be excused from
28 the physical education requirement. Current law requires that
29 the student seeking to be excused from the physical education
30 requirement must, at some time during the period for which
31 the excuse is sought, be a participant in an organized and
32 supervised athletic program which requires at least as much
33 time of participation per week as one-eighth unit of physical
34 education. The bill modifies this provision to provide that a
35 student enrolled in grades 9 through 11 shall be excused from
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1 the requirement related to physical education activities by
2 the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled
3 for up to one semester, trimester, or the equivalent, per year
4 if the student’s parent or guardian requests that the student
5 be excused from the physical education requirement, and the
6 bill adds to the list of activities for which a student may
7 be excused show choir, marching band, and color guard. The
8 bill requires that the student’s participation per week in show
9 choir, marching band, or color guard be at least equivalent
10 to the per-week participation required for one-eighth unit of
11 physical education.
12 The bill exempts from the physical activity requirements
13 that apply to students enrolled in school districts, accredited
14 nonpublic schools, and charter schools in grades 6 through 12
15 students who are participating in show choir, marching band,
16 or color guard.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.11