Examining the impact of state recess legislation on recess provision in california to inform improved student cardiometabolic fitness

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded the University of California Office of the President, Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources $189,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to examine the impact of California's Senate Bill 291 recess legislation on recess provision in schools and its effects on student cardiometabolic fitness.

The project quantitatively determines whether the 2024–25 recess mandate results in increased daily recess provision by comparing reported recess minutes before and after legislation passage, and qualitatively identifies best practices for recess law implementation. The work leverages California's passage of Senate Bill 291 (Recess for All), which requires 30 minutes of daily recess for all kindergarten through 6th grade students, as a natural experiment to assess whether unfunded statewide legislation can positively impact recess provision and student cardiometabolic health outcomes.

Performance takes place in Oakland, California. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. This is a Project Grant assistance type award.

Abstract

Substantial evidence demonstrates that quality school recess provides opportunities for physical activity and socialization, which results in increased student physical activity, cardiometabolic health, and well-being. At least 30 minutes of daily recess is associated with a two-fold greater odds of achieving recommended physical activity levels and has been directly related to lower blood pressure, improved high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased student cardiorespiratory fitness. Given that 84% of school-age children in the U.S. Attend public school, recess offers an unmatched opportunity to use existing systems to improve the health of our nation's children. Yet not all students have access to this important time in the school day; less than 60% of US children have at least 30 minutes of recess a day. The importance of recess, combined with gaps in provision, led california (the nation's largest state) to pass senate bill 291 (recess for all) mandating 30 minutes of daily recess for all kindergarten-6TH grade students in 2024-25. However, my prior research on physical education (PE) in california showed that unfunded legislation requiring schools do more, without providing financial or structural supports, can result in low compliance in already overburdened and under- resourced schools. IT remains unknown if unfunded statewide recess legislation can positively impact recess provision, to the benefit of student cardiometabolic health. This study leverages the natural experiment posed by the passage of recess for all to 1) quantitatively determine if this legislation results in increased recess provision by examining changes in reported recess minutes from before (2023-24) to after (2024-25) passage, and 2) qualitatively determine best practices for recess law implementation using an implementation science (RE-aim) approach. As recess laws become adopted nationwide, IT is crucial to understand how they impact recess provision, as well as the potential unintended consequences of imposing unfunded mandates on schools, which have historically exacerbated educational issues, leading to low compliance and unimproved student health outcomes. Further, this study can inform the writing, adoption, and roll-out of similar legislation in other states, to have the greatest positive impact on the cardiometabolic health of all children. This work builds on my K01 mixed-methods research on the cardiorespiratory impacts of statewide PE law, which has led to pursuing rigorous evidence on other school-based policies for improving youth cardiometabolic health and furthers my implementation science training and skills. This research by will also provide the means to help me become an academic leader in the development and testing of scalable school physical activity policy interventions that will reduce population risk of inactivity-related chronic diseases.