Gillibrand Secures $47 Million In Federal Aid For National Physical Education Program In Omnibus Deal Signed By President

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that, after her push the Omnibus spending bill signed by the President last week includes $47 million for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16). The funding Gillibrand pushed to include will allow the Department of Education to provide federal grants to school districts and community-based organizations to initiate, enhance, and expand physical education programs for students in kindergarten through grade 12.

The appropriations bills that the Senate and House appropriations committees passed earlier this year eliminated funding for PEP. In March, Senator Gillibrand wrote to the Senate Appropriations Committee and again in November urging the committee to secure funding for this program. Without funding, current grantees including school districts and community-based organizations would have lost grants for the 2016 fiscal year. The Omnibus bill that passed secures this program's funding.

"This push to secure this critical funding for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program will enable the Department of Education to improve physical education in schools and communities in New York and across the country," said Senator Gillibrand. We need to continue to prioritize the health of our children and help them develop skills and practices that promote a healthy, active lifestyle. The funding secured in the omnibus will help ensure our school districts have the resources they need to implement effective physical education programs and teach our kids healthy habits that they can carry with them the rest of their lives."

"We are so pleased to see this investment in our nation's future," said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. "Funding for physical education helps kids perform better in the classroom and stay healthy."

"We're thrilled that Congress has made the commitment to fund the PEP grant for FY16. This funding is vital to innovative physical education programs across the country. SHAPE America's members are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on sustaining funding for this program," said SHAPE America CEO Paul Roetert.

Gillibrand explained that school district officials have cited budget cuts and inadequate facilities as the major barriers to providing physical education opportunities to students. The purpose of PEP is to promote the best practices in physical education and lay the groundwork for communities to invest in high-quality physical education programs for their students. Recipients use the funds to develop programs that address state standards for physical education and create an environment supportive of physical activity.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends that school-age children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. One in three children and adolescents (ages 2-19) in the United States is now estimated to be overweight or obese. The health impacts of childhood obesity include higher risk of diseases like diabetes and several types of cancer as well as social and psychological problems. Gillibrand fought to secure the funding in this Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus bill because quality physical education programs provide students with a safe environment for regular physical activity.

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