State Board of Education - Financial Literacy - Graduation Requirement

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0592*

SENATE BILL 592
F1 6lr2968
CF HB 943
By: Senator Brooks
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

State Board of Education – Financial Literacy – Graduation Requirement 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Education to establish a certain graduation 3
requirement in financial literacy; authorizing county boards of education to 4
determine the curriculum, instructional materials, and placement of the personal 5
financial literacy course; requiring students, beginning with a certain graduating 6
class, to successfully complete a certain personal financial literacy course; requiring 7
county boards, on successful completion of the course, to award certain credit to 8
students and to allow students to fulfill certain remaining credit requirements 9
through certain existing courses; and generally relating to high school graduation 10
requirements in financial literacy. 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 7–205(b)(2) and (c) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Education 18
Section 7–213 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Education 24

7–205. 25

2 SENATE BILL 592

(b) The promotion of students in a public school and graduation from a public high 1
school shall be in accordance with: 2

(2) The rules and regulations of the State Board. 3

(c) (1) Each student who graduates from a public high school shall receive the 4
same type of diploma or certificate, regardless of the high school attended or the course 5
taken. 6

(2) The diploma or certificate shall state that the student has completed a 7
program of studies satisfactorily in accordance with the requirements of the State Board. 8

7–213. 9

(A) (1) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH A HIGH SCHOOL 10
GRADUATION REQUIREME NT IN FINANCIAL LITE RACY THAT ALIGNS WIT H THE 11
STATE CURRICULUM FOR PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION GRADES 12
3–12 STANDARDS. 13

(2) THE FINANCIAL LITERAC Y GRADUATION REQU IREMENT 14
ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE: 15

(I) AT LEAST 1 SEMESTER IN LENGTH; 16

(II) TAUGHT IN GRADES 11 OR 12; AND 17

(III) A STANDALONE COURSE AN D NOT EMBEDDED IN OT HER 18
COURSEWORK. 19

(B) EACH COUNTY BOARD MAY DETERMINE TH E CURRICULUM , 20
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, AND DEPARTMENTAL PLACEMENT OF THE PERSONAL 21
FINANCIAL LITERACY C OURSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE PERSONAL 22
FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION GRADES 3–12 STANDARDS AND THIS SECTION. 23

(C) (1) BEGINNING WITH THE GR ADUATING CLASS OF 2030, EACH HIGH 24
SCHOOL STUDENT SHALL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLET E A PERSONAL FINANCI AL 25
LITERACY COURSE THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 26

(2) ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, A COUNTY BOARD 27
SHALL: 28

(I) AWARD THE STUDENT AT LEAST ON E–HALF CREDIT 29
TOWARD THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; AND 30

SENATE BILL 592 3

(II) ALLOW THE STUDENT TO FULFILL ANY REMAININ G 1
ONE–HALF CREDIT REQUIREM ENT THROUGH AN EXIST ING COURSE IN BUSINE SS, 2
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, ELECTIVES, FAMILY AND CONSUMER 3
SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, OR SOCIAL STUDIES. 4

(D) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON SHALL BE CONSTRUE D TO RESTRICT A 5
COUNTY BOARD TO: 6

(1) USE A SPECIFIC CURRIC ULUM, VENDOR, OR PUBLISHER OR 7
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR THE PERSONAL FINANCIAL L ITERACY 8
COURSE; OR 9

(2) REQUIRE THE COURSE TO BE TAUGHT EXCLUSIVEL Y WITHIN A 10
SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT OR SUBJECT AREA. 11

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2026. 13