State House approves bill mandating recess for Georgia elementary kids

Georgia schools would have to provide students with a recess period every day under legislation approved by the House on Friday.

Members backed the bill from Rep. Demetrius Douglas, D-Stockbridge, requiring an average of 30 minutes per day of supervised, unstructured activity time, outdoors if possible. Friday's vote, 147 votes to 17, sends the bill to the Senate for review.

It applies to students in kindergarten and in first through fifth grades.

The bill also says local officials should develop policies to prevent students from losing recess time as a punishment.