New York: S06858

Bill Summary

S6858 requires every school district to ensure that any public or private school with a day longer than five hours provides at least 30 minutes of daily recess within the school day for all K–5 students and for 6th graders in elementary schools. Recess must be supervised but student‑directed, held outside whenever possible, and must not involve phones, tablets, videos, computers, or other screens; schools must supply basic play equipment, treat recess as separate from lunch and PE, develop indoor/alternative play plans when needed, and may not routinely withhold recess as punishment or to complete academic work except in immediate safety situations.

Why It Matters to the Make America Healthy Again Movement

The MAHA Movement supports this bill because it guarantees a daily block of unstructured, screen‑free movement and social play for young students, aligning with MAHA’s belief that recess is essential to physical health, mental well‑being, and social development—not an optional extra. By banning phones and other devices during recess, requiring schools to provide play equipment, and sharply limiting the use of recess as a disciplinary tool, S6858 pushes New York schools toward MAHA’s model of movement‑rich, lower‑screen school days that support kids’ metabolic and emotional health.