UPDATE: the 2023 Financial Education Bill Tracker from Next Gen Personal Finance provides daily updates on which state legislatures have introduced financial education bills for grades K-12 throughout 2023.

The NGPF FinLit Bill Tracker is greener as two more states increased student access to financial education with Governor signatures sealing the deal since our last update. Those states are:

• Nevada AB19: Among the core academic subjects that must be taught include "Social studies, which includes only the subjects of history, geography, economics , civics, financial literacy and multicultural education..."
• Rhode Island HB5491 and SB349: Key point in legislation: "Beginning with the graduating class of 2024, all students shall demonstrate proficiency in consumer education prior to graduating high school. LEAs shall have the discretion to allow students the ability to demonstrate proficiency by one or more of the following:  (1) Successful completion of a consumer education course of study aligned with the standards developed and approved by the council;..."

Congratulations to the advocates! You know who you are:) Your persistence and commitment to the cause of universal financial education stretched over many years and made this change happen. Your work behind the scenes, educating legislators, developing state-wide partnerships, organizing students and other advocates to testify has created a template for others to copy. Please savor the victory. I also know that you recognize that the hard work of implementation has just begun!  

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.