OHIO — Two Ohio lawmakers are sponsoring legislation aimed at expanding recess requirements for younger students and broadening physical education credit options for high school students.
House Bill 304, introduced by Reps. Melanie Miller and Tom Young, would require schools to provide students in kindergarten through eighth grade with at least 30 minutes of recess twice a day. The bill would also expand what qualifies for meeting state-mandated physical education requirements, particularly for students who participate in club or travel sports.
Under current Ohio law, schools must offer physical education to students in grades K-8 but are not required to meet a minimum number of instructional hours. High school students must complete 120 hours of physical education to graduate. Current law also guarantees students in grades 1-6 no more than 15 minutes of recess twice a day.
“In order to live healthy and active lives, they need time throughout the day to be kids and run around, play with classmates and release energy,” Young and Miller said in a joint statement. “Giving them an hour during the day provides this outlet.”
House Bill 304 would extend recess requirements through eighth grade and increase the minimum recess time to 30 minutes in both the morning and afternoon. The bill allows schools to forgo recess on days when students attend physical education classes.
The legislation also seeks to address what the sponsors describe as inequity in high school physical education waivers. Current law allows students to waive P.E. requirements if they participate in two seasons of a school-sponsored sport. Miller said that provision benefits students on school teams but excludes those who play on club, travel, or multi-school teams.
According to the Ohio High School Athletics Association, approximately 400,000 students in grades 7-12 participate in school sports each year. State education data show 751,703 students were enrolled in grades 7-8 during the 2024–2025 school year, leaving many students without access to P.E. waiver opportunities.
House Bill 304 would extend the waiver option to students participating in non-school organized sports. To qualify, students would still need to complete two seasons or at least 120 hours of participation. The waiver would require signatures from a student’s coach and legal guardian. While school districts currently have discretion over P.E. waivers, the bill allows local boards of education to continue setting their own policies alongside the proposed changes.
House Bill 304 received several committee hearings in 2025, but it has not yet been brought to a vote in the Ohio House.
