The text as introduced · 830 words
89R7722 GP-F
By: King
H.B. No. 27
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.
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