Wisconsin: SB805

Bill Summary

SB 805 requires all public schools, including charter schools, to schedule at least 60 minutes of recess every school day for students in grades K–6 starting in the 2026‑27 school year, and allows up to all 60 of those minutes to count toward Wisconsin’s minimum instructional‑hours requirement. The bill defines recess as supervised, unstructured time for physical activity, play, organized games, or social interaction; prohibits students from using phones, tablets, computers, or other personal electronic devices during those minutes; bars schools from withholding recess as punishment except when participation poses an immediate safety risk; and directs DPI to provide annual guidance and model professional development on implementing the new recess requirements.

Why It Matters to the Make America Healthy Again Movement

The MAHA Movement supports this bill because it doubles daily recess time, locks in device‑free movement and social play, and protects recess from being taken away as a disciplinary tool—directly reflecting MAHA’s belief that daily physical activity and face‑to‑face interaction are essential for children’s metabolic, mental, and social health. By letting schools count the full 60 minutes toward instructional time, SB 805 also removes a scheduling barrier that often squeezes out recess, making a MAHA‑style, movement‑rich school day more realistic across Wisconsin.