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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 4, 2021 03:49 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Bob Brooks and Rep. Danielle Friel Otten |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Mandatory Free-Play Recess and Lunch Periods |
| In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that would require schools to provide at least thirty minutes of recess and thirty minutes of lunch for all students. Additionally, schools would be prohibited from replacing a student’s lunch or recess time with additional coursework or instruction, unless requested by the student. There has been a growing trend in our schools to replace recess with additional academic time, however recess is an important component of a student’s academic day. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.” Additionally, numerous studies have shown that recess or a period of unstructured free time allows students to refocus their cognitive abilities, making them more attentive and productive in the classroom. It is important that we recognize the positive impacts that a regular recess or a period of unstructured free time provides for students. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB2063