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Bill would mandate kids get daily recess

Settles Bridge Elementary in Suwanee held a ribbon cutting ceremony for new playground equipment at the school.

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Settles Bridge Elementary in Suwanee held a ribbon cutting ceremony for new playground equipment at the school.
By Aaron Gould Sheinin
Feb 8, 2017

Rep. Demetrius Douglas might be Georgia children's favorite lawmaker.

The Stockbridge Democrat on Wednesday filed legislation that would require schools in Georgia to offer at least 30 minutes of “supervised, unstructured activity time,” a day for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

House Bill 273 says that recess should be outside if possible and that taking away recess cannot be used to punish students.

The bill has bipartisan support, including Democrats Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smrya, and Spencer Frye of Athens, and Republican Reps. Ed Setzler of Acworth, and Brian Strickland of McDonough.

This is not Douglas' first attempt at getting schools to offer daily recess. In 2016 he sponsored a resolution urging schools to do so. That resolution, which does not carry the power of law, passed easily.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will again have Georgia’s largest team covering the Legislature. Get complete daily coverage during the legislative session at myAJC.com/georgialegislature.

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