Recess provides students with a needed break from their structured school day. It can improve children's physical, social, and emotional well-being, and enhance learning. Recess helps children meet the goal of 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) each day, as recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. National organizations (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics) recommend that districts provide at least 20 minutes of daily recess for all students in elementary schools. This brief highlights areas where school recess policy opportunities exist, and where policies are well-established. It summarizes policy actions taken by public school districts, all 50 states and the District of Columbia from the 2011-2012 school year, from the Bridging the Gap (BTG) study. All policies were collected and coded by BTG researchers using a standardized method based on evidence-based guidelines and recommendations from expert organizations and agencies. Complete details about how these data were collected and compiled are available in the companion methods documentation (see ED546842).