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Committee backs bill to reinstate Presidential Physical Fitness Test in Tennessee schools
Summary
SB1979 would require LEAs and public charter schools to administer a reinstated Presidential Physical Fitness Test for students; proponents called it motivational for student health, and the committee approved the bill to move to the calendar.
Senator Watson, sponsor of SB1979, told the Senate Education Committee that the bill would require every local education agency and public charter school in Tennessee to administer the Presidential Physical Fitness Test to students ages roughly 6 to 17 to assess strength, endurance and flexibility. "The presidential physical fitness test was first established by President Eisenhower in 1956," he said, and the bill seeks to restore competitive elements removed from later programs.
Members asked procedural questions and one senator proposed (and the sponsor rejected) a highly unfriendly amendment that would make legislators take the test. Several senators praised the idea as a way to boost physical activity in schools. The committee recorded a roll-call vote and the measure was moved to the calendar for further consideration.
