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Georgia鈥檚 more than 740,000 public elementary school students could be spending more time climbing on jungle gyms and racing down slides thanks to a bill passed by the Legislature.

requires schools to schedule 30 minutes of recess per day for children in kindergarten through 5th grade.

The bill鈥檚 sponsor, Stockbridge Democratic Rep. Demetrius Douglas, said the bill will improve kids鈥� physical and mental health and help them burn excess energy, especially in urban parts of the state where they cannot easily play outside.

鈥淢ost of these kids are from environments where, when they get home, they can鈥檛 get out,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd they only have P.E. once a week. And so this will allow them some extra time to cut down on some disciplinary problems and get them back in order.鈥�

The bill passed the Senate unanimously Friday after sailing through the House last month 155-12, and it received a final vote in the House Monday and now awaits the governor.

It was sponsored in the Senate by powerful Rules Committee Chairman Jeff Mullis, a Chickamauga Republican.

Mullis called the measure a bipartisan effort that will pay dividends for years to come.

鈥淭o have a better Georgia, a Georgia that has physically fit children that learn better, that achieve more, not just athletics, but a peace of mind and quality of life, this bill is essential to pass to make sure that happens,鈥� he said.

The bipartisan acceptance of the bill belies the controversy similar measures have faced in the past. Douglas said he has been working on a mandatory recess bill for six or seven years.

One such measure, House Bill 83, passed both chambers in 2019 but was vetoed by Gov. Brian Kemp, who said it stepped on the toes of local boards of education who have the authority to establish recess policies for students.

Kemp has come under fire for backing bills this session that opponents say violate school districts鈥� local control, including one banning the districts from imposing .

Mullis said he is confident the newly passed bill will sit better with the governor.

鈥淟adies and gentlemen, I鈥檝e been here before with this bill, and we have it perfected, so the governor will sign it,鈥� he told senators.

An earlier version incorrectly stated when the bill received final passage.聽

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