Bill > HB2303

This bill mandates that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) develop a curriculum on personal finance, which is defined as a course covering financial literacy and the tools, resources, and discipline needed for personal and professional success in today's economy. The curriculum will include topics such as earning income, budgeting, saving, banking, credit, investing, fraud prevention, taxes, contracts, and insurance. To create this curriculum, DESE will form a work group composed of educators, DESE representatives, and individuals from various financial industries like banking, business, investments, and insurance, with educators making up at least 25% of the group. The State Board of Education will then adopt academic performance standards for personal finance by the 2027-28 school year, with these standards reviewed every five years. Starting with the 2027-28 school year, all school districts will require students to complete a half-unit of personal finance credit after ninth grade to graduate, though districts can waive this for transferring students with equivalent coursework or allow ninth graders to take it early if it aligns with their academic plans.