State Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-10th dist.) applauded the passage of House Bill 148 by the House of Representatives. The bill would require schools to annually provide educational information to parents with children in sixth to 12th grades about eating disorders and resources to help overcome them. Santarsiero first introduced the bill in 2013 when he was serving in the House, and is currently the prime sponsor of companion legislation in the Senate.
“We have seen a dramatic rise in eating disorders in children and parents are often caught off guard, discovering the problem only after serious complications,” Santarsiero said. “HB 148, which I originally proposed as HB 1959 in 2013, is identical to my bill in the Senate, SB 623, and would help parents prevent eating disorders in their children, provide the information to recognize the problem sooner and connect with resources for a full recovery.”
The bill would also direct the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to develop a task force, which would develop guidelines for providing parent educational information regarding eating disorders.
HB 148 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
