KY SB 111 requires Kentucky public schools to formalize and expand daily recess and physical activity through a local wellness policy. Each school council (or the principal where no council exists) must adopt a policy that guarantees at least 30 minutes of recess for students in kindergarten through grade 5 on every full instructional day and 15 minutes on each scheduled early‑release day, with recess defined as supervised, unstructured time for physical activity, play, and social engagement that is separate from PE and meals and held outdoors when practicable. For grades 6–12, schools may include 15–30 minutes of recess as part of the instructional day if they choose to offer it, and the policy must be in place before the first student attendance day of the 2026–27 school year. The bill also allows age‑appropriate supervised physical exercise to be used as a discipline tool during recess while generally prohibiting denial of recess unless a student poses an immediate physical safety threat.
Why It Matter to MAHA
The Make America Healthy Again Movement supports KY SB 111 because it meaningfully increases guaranteed movement time for younger students and encourages daily moderate to vigorous activity for all grades, directly advancing MAHA’s focus on combating sedentary lifestyles and improving children’s metabolic and mental health. Protecting recess, defining it as active and largely outdoor time, and embedding it in school wellness policy pairs naturally with MAHA’s push for real, minimally processed food, creating a school environment that supports healthy weight, attention, and mood. Although allowing exercise as a discipline tool is not ideal from a MAHA perspective, the bill’s strong limits on taking away recess and its clear prioritization of daily physical activity make it a net MAHA‑aligned step toward healthier school days.