78R884 CAS-D

By:  Woolley                                                      H.B. No. 154



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to personal finance education as a requirement for 
graduation from public high school.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.   Section 28.002(d), Education Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(d)  The State Board of Education, after consulting with 
educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and 
employers, shall by rule identify the essential knowledge and 
skills of each subject of the enrichment curriculum that all 
students should be able to demonstrate. Each district shall use the 
essential knowledge and skills identified by the board as 
guidelines in providing instruction in the enrichment curriculum. 
The board shall include elements relating to personal finance as 
part of the essential knowledge and skill of economics and require 
personal finance education as a condition for  high school 
graduation.  As a condition for accreditation, the board shall 
require each district to provide instruction in personal finance at 
one or more appropriate high school grade levels specified by board 
rule.
	SECTION 2.   The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 
relating to personal finance education in accordance with Section 
28.002(d), Education Code, as amended by this Act, not later than 
March 1, 2004.  The rules shall require each school district, as a 
condition for accreditation, to provide instruction in personal 
finance beginning with the 2004-2005 school year.  In addition, the 
rules shall provide a transition period for requiring personal 
finance education as a condition for high school graduation in a 
manner that does not work an undue hardship on students who are in 
the junior or senior year of high school during the 2004-2005 school 
year.
	SECTION 3.   This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.