S.B. 605 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a statewide financial literacy curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12 public school students beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

• Mandates instruction in financial literacy for grades kindergarten through 8, with curriculum including credit costs, credit card management, borrowing for large purchases, mortgages, credit scoring, and related financial topics.

• Requires all students in grades 9-12 to complete a one-half credit course in financial literacy with a passing grade as a graduation requirement beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

• The high school financial literacy course must include standards from the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics (2nd edition) and the 2013 National Standards for Financial Literacy, covering personal finance and economic principles.

• Requires the Board of Education to provide professional development for teachers before they teach financial literacy courses and to maintain a list of approved professional development courses and providers.