ATLANTA — Recess will be required for elementary schools, according to a new law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp Monday.  

HB 1283 will require Georgia’s public schools to offer recess to students in kindergarten through fifth grade every day, except on days when the student has had physical education and other exceptions. 

Rep. Demetrius Douglas, D-Stockbridge, the bill’s sponsor, worked on the measure for several years and has introduced similar legislation during previous legislative sessions to require public elementary schools to offer recess.

The Senate and House approved the 2019 recess bill backed by Douglas. Kemp vetoed it, saying then the bill overstepped local control of school boards. The 2019 bill would have required schools to provide 30 minutes of daily recess for elementary students.

HB 1283 requires local school boards to implement a daily recess policy that determines the length, timing and whether recess can be withheld from students for disciplinary or academic reasons.

“It is time for our students to get moving and learn how to play with each other again,” Douglas stated. “Before HB 1283 was signed into law, our state only required schools to offer recess once a week; however, many elementary school students spend the majority of their school day in one classroom, which limits their ability to make new friends and build social skills. Recess is a crucial part of a child’s learning experience and this legislation ensures that elementary school students can have a chance to enjoy recess.”

The bill takes effect in the 2022-23 school year.  

The Georgia Department of Public Health, in its model elementary policy for recess in Georgia school districts, has long recommended at east 20 minutes of daily recess, following recommendations from National Association of Sport and Physical Education.  

“Recess has so many benefits, including higher test scores, an increase in on-task behaviors and a decrease in inappropriate behavior such as distracting classmates,” according to Voices for Georgia Children, a nonprofit child policy and advocacy organization.

As of 2019, at least five states — Arizona, Florida, Rhode Island, Missouri, New Jersey and Rhode Island – have had laws requiring daily recess, according to Edutopia.