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An Act To Reduce Obesity among Schoolchildren
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §6632  is enacted to read:
§ 6632. Physical activity
All students from kindergarten to grade 5 shall participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of daily physical activity at school, which may include recess, classroom activities or physical education. A physical activity period may not be denied to a student as punishment or discipline. Nothing in this section prohibits a teacher from restricting a student's participation in physical activity if participation in physical activity presents a danger to the student or to others or if the restriction is consistent with the student's individual education plan. A teacher may provide an alternative physical activity for a student behaving inappropriately during the physical activity period.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §6663  is enacted to read:
§ 6663. Food as reward; punishment
School personnel may not use food as a reward or as punishment for behavior or performance of a student in kindergarten to grade 12.
Sec. 3. Rulemaking. The Commissioner of Education shall establish rules to implement the provisions of this Act. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 4. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that enact the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, sections 6632 and 6663 take effect August 1, 2014.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires a student from kindergarten to grade 5 to participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of daily physical activity at school. A physical activity period may not be denied as punishment or discipline. The bill does not prohibit a teacher from restricting a student's participation in physical activity if that participation presents a danger to the student or to others or if the restriction is consistent with the student's individual education plan. A teacher may provide an alternative physical activity for a student behaving inappropriately during a physical activity period.
The bill prohibits a public school from using food as a reward or punishment for a student's behavior or performance in kindergarten to grade 12.