Financial education

AN ACT Relating to making financial education instruction a 1
graduation requirement in public schools; amending RCW 28A.300.468; 2
adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW; creating new sections; 3
and providing expiration dates. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that acquiring 6
and applying a basic knowledge of personal finance is critical to the 7
economic well-being of all adults. Without this knowledge, persons 8
are much less well-equipped to navigate the complicated financial 9
issues of modern life, including household budgets, consumer debt, 10
loan applications and obligations, and successful retirement 11
planning.12
The legislature also recognizes that it has taken meaningful 13
steps to support financial education instruction in public schools, 14
including establishing the financial education public-private 15
partnership in 2004, adopting financial education learning standards 16
in 2015, and providing funds in 2022 for financial education 17
professional development for certificated staff. 18
In recognition of the relevance and importance of personal 19
finance knowledge, the ongoing efforts of the financial education 20
public-private partnership, and the ability of public schools to 21
H-0491.1
HOUSE BILL 1285
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Rude, Stonier, Lekanoff, Doglio, Couture, Connors,
Berry, Bronoske, Leavitt, Ryu, Davis, Barkis, Orcutt, Jacobsen,
Goodman, Walsh, Steele, Paul, Tharinger, Klicker, Nance, Eslick,
Taylor, Caldier, Parshley, Keaton, Ley, Timmons, Pollet, Fey,
Simmons, and Hill
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Education.
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teach or continue teaching financial education instruction, the 1
legislature intends to ensure that all Washington students are 2
provided financial education instruction. Therefore, the legislature 3
intends to make financial education instruction a graduation 4
requirement for public schools. 5
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.300.468 and 2015 c 211 s 4 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) After consulting with the financial education public-private 8
partnership, the office of the superintendent of public instruction 9
shall make available to all school districts a list of instructional 10
materials that align with the financial education standards 11
((integrated into the state learning standards pursuant to RCW 12
28A.300.460(2)(d))) adopted in RCW 28A.300.469. 13
(2) School districts, through the end of the 2027-28 school year, 14
shall provide all students in grades nine through ((twelve)) 12 the 15
opportunity to access the financial education standards, whether 16
through a regularly scheduled class period; before or after school; 17
during lunch periods; at library and study time; at home; via online 18
learning opportunities; through career and technical education course 19
equivalencies; or other opportunities. School districts shall 20
publicize the availability of financial education opportunities to 21
students and their families. School districts are encouraged to grant 22
credit toward high school graduation to students who successfully 23
complete financial education courses. 24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 25
RCW to read as follows: 26
(1)(a) Beginning in or before the 2027-28 school year, each 27
school district that operates a high school shall provide all high 28
school students with instruction in the state financial education 29
learning standards adopted in RCW 28A.300.469. 30
(b) Beginning no later than the 2027-28 school year, school 31
districts shall publicize the offering of financial education 32
instruction, and the associated graduation requirement, to students 33
and their parents or legal guardians. 34
(2)(a) Beginning with the graduating class of 2031, each student 35
must meet the high school state financial education learning 36
standards adopted in RCW 28A.300.469 to graduate from high school.37
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(b) Students in grade 12 who have not been able to meet the 1
graduation requirement in (a) of this subsection (2) because of 2
previous residence outside the state may have this requirement waived 3
by their principal. Waivers provided in accordance with this 4
subsection (2)(b) may only be issued on an individual basis.5
(3)(a) The state board of education shall review and monitor 6
financial education offerings to ensure school district compliance 7
with the requirements of subsection (1)(a) of this section. The 8
reviews and monitoring required by this subsection (3) may be 9
conducted concurrently with other oversight and monitoring conducted 10
by the state board of education. 11
(b) The state board of education, in accordance with RCW 12
43.01.036, shall provide a summary of the information collected under 13
this subsection (3) for school years 2027-28 and 2028-29 to the 14
appropriate committees of the legislature by January 10, 2029.15
(4) This section governs school operation and management under 16
RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools 17
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 18
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as 19
it applies to school districts. 20
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) By December 15, 2025, school districts 21
shall submit to the state board of education and the financial 22
education public-private partnership established in RCW 28A.300.450:23
(a) A list of courses and other learning opportunities offered on 24
financial education for high school students in their school district 25
during or prior to the 2024-25 school year, and the number of 26
students served by those offerings; and 27
(b) A description of what the school district may need to ensure 28
that students are able to meet the graduation requirement in section 29
3 of this act. 30
(2)(a) The financial education public-private partnership shall 31
analyze the information provided under subsection (1) of this section 32
and create a statewide implementation plan for the graduation 33
requirement in section 3 of this act. 34
(b) The implementation plan, which must be submitted to the 35
office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board 36
of education, and, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the appropriate 37
committees of the legislature by December 31, 2026, may include 38
recommendations for: 39
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(i) Additional funding for grants to integrate financial literacy 1
education into professional development for certificated staff; and2
(ii) Other school district resources in accordance with 3
submissions received under subsection (1)(a) of this section.4
(3) This section governs school operation and management under 5
RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools 6
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 7
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as 8
it applies to school districts. 9
(4) This section expires August 1, 2027. 10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The state board of education shall 11
recommend adjustments to graduation requirements and other education 12
offerings to ensure that students have adequate opportunities to meet 13
the graduation requirement in section 3 of this act. In developing 14
the recommendations, the state board shall:15
(a) Consult with the financial education public-private 16
partnership established in RCW 28A.300.450, students, parents and 17
legal guardians, educators, K-12 education partners, postsecondary 18
partners, employers, and community members; and 19
(b) Consider how to incorporate the graduation requirement in 20
section 3 of this act into the framework of graduation requirements, 21
including consideration of credit options and competency-based 22
options. 23
(2) The state board of education shall, in accordance with RCW 24
43.01.036, report its recommendations to the governor and the 25
education committees of the legislature by December 31, 2026.26
(3) This section expires August 1, 2027. 27
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