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HB339 • 2026

PERSONAL FINANCE PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS

An Act establishing a personal finance education program for public schools; and providing for an effective date.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE COSTELLO
Last action
2026-02-23
Official status
(H) EDC
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states resources for Native corporation financial implications should be included 'if those resources are available,' meaning this topic may not always have materials provided.

Personal Finance Education Program in Alaska Public Schools

This law requires public school districts to create a personal finance program for high school students that must be completed to receive a diploma.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each school district to establish a personal finance education program for grades nine through twelve approved by the Department of Education.
  • Mandates that the Department of Education provide a list of free, open educational resources covering specific money topics and update this list at least once every five years.
  • Sets the total instruction time equal to one-half credit hour, which can be taught as part of other courses or as separate classes.
  • Makes completing this program necessary for students to receive their high school diploma.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public school districts in Alaska
  • Students who will graduate from high school on or after January 1, 2027
  • The Department of Education

Terms To Know

Open educational resource
Learning materials that are free to use and can be changed or shared by others.
Credit hour course
A standard measure of school instruction time; this program must equal half the length of a full class.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Students who transfer into an Alaska district after finishing grade ten do not need to complete the program to graduate.
  • The law requires schools to cover specific topics but does not specify exactly how they must schedule or teach these lessons beyond the time requirement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-23 1686

    (H) REFERRED TO EDUCATION

  2. 2026-02-23 1686

    (H) EDC, FIN

  3. 2026-02-23 1686

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

PERSONAL FINANCE PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS
An Act establishing a personal finance education program for public schools; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0339a -1- HB 339
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1503\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 339

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE COSTELLO

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: Education, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act establishing a personal finance education program for public schools; and 1
providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 4
Article 17. Personal Finance Education Program. 5
Sec. 14.30.850. Personal finance education program. (a) Each school district 6
shall establish a personal finance education program for students in grades nine 7
through 12. The program must be approved by the department. The department shall 8
curate and make available to school districts a list of open educational resources that 9
are approved by the department that in combination address the topics listed in (1) - 10
(14) of this subsection. The list shall include open educational resources that address 11
the topic listed in (15) of this subsection if those resources are available. The 12
department shall update this list at least once every five years. A school district may 13
provide the program through one or more courses offered by the school district, but 14
34-LS1503\A
HB 339 -2- HB0339a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

the program's hours of instruction must in the aggregate be equivalent to a one-half 1
credit hour course. A school may not issue a high school diploma to a student unless 2
the student has completed a personal finance program under this section. The program 3
must include, to the maximum extent practicable, discussion of or instruction on 4
(1) different types of financial institutions and opening and managing 5
an account with a financial institution; 6
(2) making a budget; 7
(3) basic principles of money management, including spending, credit, 8
credit scores, and managing retail debt, credit card debt, and other types of debt; 9
(4) basic principles of completing a loan application; 10
(5) basic principles of personal insurance policies; 11
(6) basic computation of federal income taxes; 12
(7) avoiding fraud, financial deception, and predatory lending 13
practices; 14
(8) simple contracts; 15
(9) contesting an incorrect billing statement; 16
(10) computing interest rates by various mechanisms; 17
(11) types of savings and investments; 18
(12) basic principles of retirement accounts; 19
(13) receiving an inheritance and related financial implications; 20
(14) postsecondary financial aid and scholarships; and 21
(15) financial implications of being a member or a beneficiary of a 22
Native corporation established under 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. (Alaska Native Claims 23
Settlement Act) or a similar entity, including payment of dividends and issuance of 24
shares. 25
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a school may issue a secondary school 26
diploma to a student who has not completed the program described in (a) of this 27
section if the student transferred into the school district from another school district, 28
state, or country after completing grade 10. 29
(c) In this section, 30
(1) "open educational resource" means learning, teaching, or research 31
34-LS1503\A
HB0339a -3- HB 339
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

material in any format that resides in the public domain or is under copyright and has 1
been released under an open license that permits access at no cost as well as reuse, 2
repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution by others; 3
(2) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 4
* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 5
read: 6
APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to students who will graduate from high school 7
on or after January 1, 2027. 8
* Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 9