HB2217: School Free-Play Recess and Lunch Periods
Overview Resources
- Pennsylvania General Assembly bill page:
https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb2217 - LegiScan tracking page: https://legiscan.com/PA/bill/HB2217/2025
- Bill text: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/HTM/2025/0/HB2217/PN2911
Pros
- Ensures students have consistent breaks during the school day, which can improve focus and behavior.
- Supports student health by guaranteeing time for physical activity and adequate meals.
- Prevents schools from reducing or eliminating recess or lunch as a form of punishment or time substitution.
- https://schoolnutrition.org/journal/spring-2019-attitudes-perceived-benefits-and-barriers-and-prevalence-of-scheduling-recess-before-lunch/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10189948/
Cons
- Could reduce flexibility for schools in structuring the school day and managing instructional time.
- May create scheduling challenges, especially in schools with limited staffing or tight academic requirements.
- Could impact district-level control over how recess and lunch policies are implemented locally.
- Too short? https://www.edweek.org/leadership/why-20-minute-lunch-periods-arent-good-for-students/2019/10
- https://www.isbe.net/Documents_IIRTF/recess_pros_cons.pdf
- https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1683&context=etd
