This bill establishes the "Congressional Fitness Challenge," a national program promoting physical fitness among students aged 6-17 through voluntary fitness tests, with recognition for participants meeting specified benchmarks.
Abraham Hamadeh
Representative
AZ-8
This bill establishes the "Congressional Fitness Challenge," a national program promoting physical fitness among students aged 6-17 through voluntary fitness tests administered by certified professionals. Participants will complete tests like running, pull-ups, curl-ups, and sit-and-reach, with performance standards set by covered committees based on age, gender, and disability considerations. Data will be collected and aggregated to track national fitness levels, and participants meeting benchmarks will receive certificates recognizing their achievement at gold, silver, or bronze levels. The program will be overseen by the House Administration Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee, who will jointly create regulations and guidance for implementation.
Congress Launches National Fitness Program for Kids: The Congressional Fitness Challenge
This resolution kicks off the "Congressional Fitness Challenge," a nationwide program aimed at getting kids aged 6-17 moving and recognizing their physical fitness achievements. It's completely voluntary, so no one's forced to participate, but it could add a structured activity to the school year.
Flexing New Standards
The Challenge involves five core fitness tests:
- A 1-mile run/walk: Timed to see how fast you can finish.
- Pull-ups or flexed arm hang: Testing upper body strength.
- Curl-ups (sit-ups): How many you can crank out in 60 seconds.
- Shuttle run: A quick, back-and-forth sprint test.
- Sit-and-reach: Checking flexibility.
These tests are designed to be administered by certified fitness professionals, like P.E. teachers or certified trainers (as defined in SEC. 8). Schools (public and private), Members of Congress hosting local events, and even organizations working with homeschooled students can run the program (SEC. 3).
Making the Grade
Committees in Congress will set performance benchmarks that are fair for different ages and genders. They're even required to take into account standards used in the old Presidential Physical Fitness Test and make adjustments for participants with disabilities (SEC. 4). If kids hit these benchmarks, they get a certificate signed by big names in Congress, like the Speaker of the House (SEC. 6) – pretty good bragging rights, maybe?
Keeping It Clean
This isn't just about running and jumping. The resolution also requires the House Administration and Senate Rules Committees to create regulations about testing protocols, reporting results, and, importantly, protecting student privacy (SEC. 7). They're also tasked with figuring out how to handle liability risks for anyone sponsoring the Challenge.
Another detail: Representatives and Senators can tap into their office expense accounts (Members' Representational Allowance for the House, Official Personnel and Office Expense Account for the Senate) to fund Challenge-related activities (SEC. 7). Within a year, there will also be a report on whether other Congressional funds can be used (SEC. 7). How that money is actually used will be something to keep an eye on.
The challenge defines "eligible participant" as students aged 6-17 including those in public, private or home schools (SEC.8). These guidelines will shape how the program is put into practice.