A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to require all school children to receive at least thirty minutes of physical education activity during a school day.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑81(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The Basic Education Program shall include course requirements and descriptions similar in format to materials previously contained in the standard course of study and it shall provide:
(1)	A core curriculum for all students that takes into account the special needs of children and includes appropriate modifications for the learning disabled, the academically or intellectually gifted students, and the students with discipline and emotional problems;
(2)	A set of competencies, by grade level, for each curriculum area;
(2a)	A requirement that all school children receive at least 30 minutes of physical education activity each school day;
(3)	A list of textbooks for use in providing the curriculum;
(4)	Standards for student performance and promotion based on the mastery of competencies, including standards for graduation, that take into account children with special needs and, in particular, include appropriate modifications;
(5)	A program of remedial education;
(6)	Required support programs;
(7)	A definition of the instructional day;
(8)	Class size recommendations and requirements;
(9)	Prescribed staffing allotment ratios;
(10)	Material and equipment allotment ratios;
(11)	Facilities guidelines that reflect educational program appropriateness, long‑term cost efficiency, and safety considerations; and
(12)	Any other information the Board considers appropriate and necessary.
The State Board shall not adopt or enforce any rule that requires Algebra I as a graduation standard or as a requirement for a high school diploma for any student whose individualized education program (i) identifies the student as learning disabled in the area of mathematics and (ii) states that this learning disability will prevent the student from mastering Algebra I."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"§ 115C‑47.   Powers and duties generally.
In addition to the powers and duties designated in G.S. 115C‑36, local boards of education shall have the power or duty:
. . .
(44)	To Ensure That All Students Participate in Physical Education. – It is the duty of each local board of education to ensure that all students participate in at least 30 minutes of physical education activity each school day."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to all school years beginning with the 2003‑2004 school year.