WEEK IN REVIEW
BILL WOULD EXPAND HEALTH AND NUTRITION EDUCATION, TRAINING
(AUSTIN) — Students would get more instruction on nutrition and metabolic health, whether they are in elementary or medical school, under a bill passed Wednesday that is intended to stem the rising tide of chronic disease in Texas. SB 25, by Brenham Senator Lois Kolkhorst, includes a number of provisions aimed not just at education, but food labelling and physical activity. With two-thirds of Americans suffering from some chronic health condition, Kolkhorst said that Texas needs to lead on improving both longevity and quality of life. “We are going to step up and make real changes so Texas can be a national leader in keeping our population healthy,” said Kolkhorst.
As chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Kolkhorst was charged with examining the issue and impact of chronic disease in Texas over the interim. The committee found that the problem has only continued to grow. One out of every five Texas children are obese, and nearly three-quarters of all Texans are overweight. Metabolic diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension are becoming more common, and cancers associated with excess weight are on the rise and affecting younger patients.
SB 25 would increase education requirements in the areas of nutrition and metabolic health for medical students, and add similar requirements for continuing education standards for doctors, nurses and physician assistants. Kids in public school would get instruction on nutrition every year, and would have PE five days a week through eighth grade.
The bill would also require new labelling standards for foods that contain certain additives. If a preservative, dye, or other additive is banned in the EU or Canada, then the manufacturer would have to label any products that contains it. Kolkhorst said it is important to empower people with information to allow them to make healthier nutritional choices. “We will not be the food police,” she told members. “We will arm Texans with information so they can make their decisions on their foods.” Finally, the bill creates a nutrition advisory commission made up of experts who would regularly release recommendations on nutrition and chronic disease.
In committee this week, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill that would make sweeping changes to the way that the state funds special education. Under current law established in the 1990s, schools receive extra money for special education based on where a student receives these services, not how expensive or intensive they are. SB 568, by Houston Senator Paul Bettencourt, would change that to an intensity-based model. It would create eight tiers of intensity, ranging from students who only need minimal support all the way up to residential placements. It would also pay more for more expensive equipment and additional personnel. “This is a groundbreaking special education bill,” said Bettencourt. “The transformation to an intensity-based model, I think, will lead to stunningly better outcomes.”
The bill is based on recommendations from a blue ribbon panel that studied the way the state pays for special education. Other reforms included in the bill would restore grants to districts to better educate students with dyslexia and autism as well as grants to increase the number of qualified special education teachers and paraprofessionals. It would partially reimburse the cost of initial evaluations, which can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per student and increase funding for transportation for special ed students.
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