The bill, H.B. No. 2849, aims to establish new guidelines for recess periods in public schools in Texas by adding Sections 28.0045 and 28.0046 to the Education Code. The Department of State Health Services School Health Advisory Committee is tasked with developing model policies that promote constructive and age-appropriate outdoor playtime, including guidelines for outdoor equipment and facilities to enhance physical activity. Additionally, each school district's board of trustees is required to adopt a recess policy based on these model policies and local health advisory recommendations, ensuring that the policy specifies the required minutes of unstructured playtime and addresses whether recess can be withheld as a form of discipline.

The bill sets deadlines for implementation, requiring the model recess policies to be developed by January 1, 2026, and mandates that school districts adopt their recess policies by May 1, 2026. Furthermore, by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, all school district campuses must implement the adopted recess policies. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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