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Policy Update May 2015

Post date: May 06, 2015

Every Child Achieves Act

In April 2015, the Senate HELP Committee began marking up a bipartisan bill, The Every Child Achieves Act. When the bill was initially presented, it included PE as a core subject, but eliminated the PEP program, which is the only source of dedicated federal funding for PE.

Sen. Baldwin offered an amendment in Committee to restore the PEP program, which was accepted without objection. The bill passed the Committee with a 22-0 vote; however, full Senate consideration is uncertain at this point. With PEP back in and PE as a core subject, NCPPA supports the Every Child Achieves Act. NCPPA circulated a sign-on letter in support of the bill.

FIT Kids Act

On April 23, 2015, Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Senator... Read More

Physical Education and the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Post date: Mar 04, 2015

Last week the House of Representatives began consideration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill, H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. H.R. 5 eliminates the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP Grant Program) and has no other source for physical education funding. H.R. 5 is currently stalled on the House floor.

The Senate is concurrently working on a bipartisan ESEA bill and is using the public comments solicited by Senator Lamar Alexander’s (R-TN) proposed discussion draft to help aid the negotiations in the bill’s policies. Sen. Alexander’s discussion draft had physical education as an acceptable use in a consolidated grants program but no dedicated funding. NCPPA members sent a letter to Senator Alexander and Senate HELP Committee Staff member to let them know we support dedicated physical education funding. (See the ... Read More

Recap: 2015 National Physical Activity Plan Congress

Post date: Mar 04, 2015

On February 23-24, 2015, over 250 professionals in public health, education, government, and media attended the 2015 National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) Congress in Washington, D.C.  The Congress opened with a keynote lecture by Dr. Wanda Jones, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in which she emphasized the importance of partnerships in promoting physical activity.  A second keynote, delivered by Mark Fenton, made the case for a focus on environment and policy changes that support physical activity as part of daily life.

One major goal of the Congress was to highlight important developments and opportunities in physical activity and public health.  Ten thematic panel sessions focused on promoting physical activity through a variety of mechanisms including federal initiatives, public-private partnerships, healthcare innovations, and state and local strategies.  Other sessions stressed the importance of... Read More

PEP Grants 37% Funding Cut, Is the Program in Jeopardy?

Post date: Feb 09, 2015

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP). PEP is a federal program that awards money to local education agencies and community-based organizations to help them initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after school programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. PEP funds programs to help students meet physical education standards.

PEP is the ONLY dedicated spending on the entire U.S. Department of Education budget for physical education yet funding has been targeted for elimination in spending reduction legislation in Congress. In 2014, funding for the program was cut by more than one-third (~37%). Current budget proposals eliminate PEP funding and consolidate this program into the proposed Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Program. We want to assure that if this happens, there is dedicated funding for physical education so it does not get lost in consolidation. We were glad to see that the President’s budget created a... Read More

Employer Wellness Programs: Guidance needed from EEOC

Post date: Feb 09, 2015

On Thursday, January 29th, 2015 the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the US Senate held a hearing entitled “Employer Wellness Programs: Better Health Outcomes and Lower Costs” addressing the recent lawsuits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed against certain employers for their wellness programs violating aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These lawsuits were filed before EEOC issued guidance to employers to clarify how they should be reconciling their programs with the Affordable Care Act and the ADA. 

NCPPA is encouraging the EEOC to issue its guidance as soon as possible so that employers understand about how they should design their programs to be in line with the ADA, the Affordable Care Act and other applicable federal law.  Comprehensive worksite wellness programs have an important role in promoting employee health, improving the culture of health in the workplace and increasing job productivity. ... Read More

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