PEP Update
(as of August 16, 2000)
The Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Act (Senate Bill #1159 and HR Bill #4536) authorizes $400 million over a five-year period for grants to local educational agencies for physical education programs. These grants can be used to provide physical education equipment and support to students, to enhance physical education curricula and to train and educate physical education teachers.
More than one third of the members of the U.S. Senate have now come on board to co-sponsor the PEP, which was introduced by Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), on May 27, 1999. They are:
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico) Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island)
Sen. Max Cleland (D-Georgia), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota) Sen. Thomas Daschle (D-South Dakota)
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Connecticut)
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-New Mexico) Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina)
Sen. Rod Grams (R-Minnesota) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Sen. Jim Jeffords (R-Vermont) Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota)
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) Sen. J. Robert Kerrey (D-Nebraska)
Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan) Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Arkansas)
Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Indiana) Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland)
Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-West Virginia)
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Alabama) Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-South Carolina) Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota)
On May 24, 2000, New York Congressmen Joseph Crowley (D-7th) and John Sweeney (R-22nd) introduced the PEP Act into the House of Representatives. House co-sponsors include:
Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-1st Hawaii) Rep. Thomas Allen (D-1st Maine)
Rep. John Baldacci (D-2nd Maine) Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Georgia)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-3rd Oregon) Rep. Eliot Engel (D-17th New York)
Rep. Lane Evans (D-17th Illinois) Rep. Martin Frost (D-24th Texas)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey ( D-26th New York) Rep. Chris John (D-7th Louisiana)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-9th Ohio) Rep. John Lewis (D-5th Georgia)
Rep. James Maloney (D-5th Connecticut) Rep. Carrie Meek (D-17th Florida)
Rep. Patsy Mink (D-2nd Hawaii) Rep. Dennis Moore (D-3rd Kansas)
Rep. Ed Pastor (D-2nd Arizona) Rep. Nick Rahall (D-3rd West Virginia)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-15th New York) Rep. Carlos Romero-Barcelo (D-PR)
Rep. Bernie Sanders (1-At Large Vermont) Rep. Max Sandlin (D-1st Texas)
Rep. Debbie Stabenow (D-8th Michigan) Rep. John Tanner (D-8th Tennessee)
Rep. Charles Taylor (R-11th North Carolina) Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-2nd Mississippi)
Rep. Tom Udall (D-3rd New Mexico) Rep. James Walsh (R-25th New York)
Rep. Robert Wise (D-2nd West Virginia).
Unfortunately, the road for passage of PEP is not certain. The PEP bill was originally tied into the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Education Act (ESEA). ESEA ran into significant problems with Senate Republicans who simply could not support anything they viewed as more federal programs. Senator Stevens now has a commitment from the Senate Education Committee to markup the PEP Bill in September as a stand alone, but time is of the concern. There are only 17 days left until the Second Session of the 106th Congress is completed.
However, one thing is certain. NASPE/AAHPERD members, in collaboration with numerous sports industry, health, and education organizations, have succeeded in raising awareness and understanding about the benefits of physical education on Capitol Hill and with the general public. This spring stories about physical education appeared in Education Week, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ABC-TV World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, Cox News Service, Reuters News Service, Associated Press News Service, Woman’s Day Magazine, and various web sites including CBS Healthwatch.com, mom.com, environmental news network, efit.com, etc.
At the Olympic Center in San Diego, CA in June, President Clinton called for support for daily physical education for every child in America and called upon the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services to submit reports on how to improve physical education within 90 days. Pediatrics Magazine featured a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina who recommended "schools need more mandatory physical education classes."
We must keep PEP alive in the remaining days of this Congress as well as out front of the new Administration and the 107th Congress (Senate & House) and their staff members in 2001. While we would all love quick action, the realities of getting a piece of federal legislation passed can be lengthy and always demands continuous hard work. Now more than ever YOU MUST STEP FORWARD to participate in making large-scale efforts to educate and influence these Senators and Representatives. We need you to encourage others such as parents, doctors, community leaders, etc. to support physical education. Be sure to stay in touch and send information to the local office of your Senators and Congressperson. Invite them to see your program.
Please email Paula Kun (pkun@aahperd.org) about the results of your efforts. Thank you for your continued support! Don’t let PEP pass us by!
|
For more information, contact:
Paula Keyes Kun (703) 476-3461 |
(Information provided courtesy of www.pelinks4u.org)