bill makes financial literacy a social studies credit

The text as introduced · 830 words

89R7722 GP-F

By: King
H.B. No. 2451

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to courses in personal financial literacy and economics

for high school students in public schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through

grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:

(1) a foundation curriculum that includes:

(A) English language arts;

(B) mathematics;

(C) science; and

(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United

States, and world history, government, personal financial

literacy, economics, with emphasis on the free enterprise system

and its benefits, and geography; and

(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes:

(A) to the extent possible, languages other than

English;

(B) health, with emphasis on:

(i) physical health, including the

importance of proper nutrition and exercise;

(ii) mental health, including instruction

about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage

emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and

responsible decision-making; and

(iii) suicide prevention, including

recognizing suicide-related risk factors and warning signs;

(C) physical education;

(D) fine arts;

(E) career and technology education;

(F) technology applications; and

(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew

Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on

history and literature [ ; and

[ (H) personal financial literacy ].

SECTION 2. Section 28.0021(b), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) Each school district and each open-enrollment charter

school that offers a high school program shall provide a [ an

elective ] course in personal financial literacy that meets the

requirements for a one-half social studies [ elective ] credit under

Section 28.025, using materials approved by the State Board of

Education. The instruction in personal financial literacy must

include instruction on completing the application for federal

student aid provided by the United States Department of Education.

In fulfilling the requirement to provide financial literacy

instruction under this section, a school district or

open-enrollment charter school may use an existing state, federal,

private, or nonprofit program that provides students without charge

the instruction described under this section.

SECTION 3. Sections 28.025(b-1) and (b-23), Education Code,

are amended to read as follows:

(b-1) The State Board of Education by rule shall require

that the curriculum requirements for the foundation high school

program under Subsection (a) include a requirement that students

successfully complete:

(1) four credits in English language arts under

Section 28.002(a)(1)(A), including one credit in English I, one

credit in English II, one credit in English III, and one credit in

an advanced English course authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(2) three credits in mathematics under Section

28.002(a)(1)(B), including one credit in Algebra I, one credit in

geometry, and one credit in any advanced mathematics course

authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(3) three credits in science under Section

28.002(a)(1)(C), including one credit in biology, one credit in any

advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2), and one

credit in integrated physics and chemistry or in an additional

advanced science course authorized under Subsection (b-2);

(4) three credits in social studies under Section

28.002(a)(1)(D), including one credit in United States history, at

least one-half credit in government and at least one-half credit in

[ economics or ] personal financial literacy [ & economics ], and one

credit in economics, world geography , or world history;

(5) except as provided under Subsections (b-12),

(b-13), and (b-14), two credits in the same language in a language

other than English under Section 28.002(a)(2)(A);

(6) five elective credits;

(7) one credit in fine arts under Section

28.002(a)(2)(D); and

(8) except as provided by Subsection (b-11), one

credit in physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).

(b-23) The agency shall:

(1) develop a list of free, open-source, and publicly

available curricula that may be used by a school district to provide

a personal financial literacy [ & economics ] course that satisfies

the curriculum requirement under Subsection (b-1)(4); and

(2) seek, accept, and spend any federal or private

grant funds and gifts that are available for the purpose of

providing a personal financial literacy [ & economics ] course as

part of the foundation high school program.

SECTION 4. Section 28.025(b-22), Education Code, is

repealed.

SECTION 5. Sections 28.0021(b) and 28.025(b-1), Education

Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to students entering the

ninth grade during the 2025-2026 school year or a later school year.

For students entering a grade above ninth grade during the

2025-2026 school year, Sections 28.0021(b) and 28.025(b-1),

Education Code, as those sections existed before amendment by this

Act, apply, and those sections are continued in effect for that

purpose.

SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.