SB 953

This bill requires the Department of Health Services, in coordination with

relevant state agencies, to award two-year grants to organizations, cities, villages,

towns, counties, school districts, or Indian tribes for childhood obesity prevention

and management programs. Under the bill, “childhood obesity prevention and

management program” means any of the following designed to assist a person who

is 22 years of age or younger or an unborn child (collectively, “child”

):

1. Early interventions and screenings to better identify and promote healthy

growth and development and to prevent and manage childhood obesity.

2. Parental support for and education on childhood weight management,

including support for guardians, caregivers, or others who have or will have

responsibility for the child other than the parent.

3. Removal of barriers and promotion of better access to proper nutrition and

spaces for play and other physical activities.

4. School-based efforts to impact circumstances contributing to childhood

weight management.

5. Early childhood care and education, including both school-based and

out-of-school care efforts to impact circumstances contributing to healthy growth

and development and reduce childhood obesity.

6. Any other type of program, approach, or innovative practice that addresses

the factors that prevent childhood obesity and mitigate its impact.

The bill prohibits DHS from awarding a grant unless the applicant

demonstrates that its program includes or will include participation of both a child

and the child's parent or guardian (unless the child is not born or the child is 18 years

of age or older), the applicant agrees to provide nonidentifying data on program

results and effectiveness, and the applicant contributes matching funds or in-kind

services with a value equal to at least 25 percent of the grant amount. The bill

requires DHS to prioritize applications in which all of the applicant's matching funds

or in-kind services are provided by nongovernmental entities and then, if sufficient

funds are available, applications with the most matching funds or in-kind services

provided by nongovernmental entities.

The bill allows DHS to renew a grant at the end of the two-year grant period.

If sufficient funds are available, the bill requires DHS to renew a grant at the same

amount previously awarded if all of the grant recipient's matching funds or in-kind

services are provided by nongovernmental entities and the recipient has shown to

DHS's satisfaction that the program is effective. The bill allows DHS to renew a

grant at a higher amount than previously awarded if the recipient has increased the

amount of matching funds or in-kind services provided by nongovernmental

entities.

Under the bill, DHS must submit an annual report on the childhood obesity