Schools must provide daily recess for younger students by 2028

Public schools must provide at least 20 minutes of daily unstructured recess. The requirement covers public school students from four-year-old kindergarten through fifth grade. Facility or staffing problems may interrupt recess for no more than three consecutive school days. Bad weather moves recess indoors, with physical activity where practical. Recess cannot count toward classroom or physical education requirements. Schools cannot withhold it as punishment more than two days per week. Staff without certification and adult volunteers may help supervise with the district superintendent's approval. Volunteers require liability insurance. Schools must fully implement these requirements by July 1, 2028.

Schools must provide minimum amounts of physical education and other physical activity, with more than half devoted to physical education. These minimums cover public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Physical education classes must meet State Board of Education academic standards. Schools cannot replace or reduce instruction time provided by certified arts teachers to meet these requirements. Local school boards may grant exemptions under the health, religious, and high school coursework rules. Districts must report daily and weekly activity minutes by school, class, and grade to the State Department of Education annually by June 15. The department must summarize them for lawmakers by December 1. The activity time requirements begin in the 2028–2029 school year.

Local school boards may grant requested exemptions from physical education requirements. Coursework exemptions cover students seeking middle school physical education credit. Health and religious exemptions are also available. For coursework exemptions, schools must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the student's participation in physical education. A health exemption requires a doctor's statement that participation would threaten the student's health and well-being. For a religious exemption, the parent and student must show a conflict with their beliefs beyond personal objection. The parent or student must belong to a recognized faith whose official teachings oppose physical education. Boards granting exemptions must encourage health education or other instruction about healthy habits instead. The law took effect May 18, 2026, and requires full implementation by July 1, 2028.