Financial education

AN ACT Relating to making financial education a graduation 1
requirement in Washington state; amending RCW 28A.300.468; adding a 2
new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW; and creating a new section.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that 5
acquiring and applying a basic knowledge of personal finance is 6
critical to the economic well-being of all adults. Without this 7
knowledge, persons are much less well equipped to navigate the 8
complicated financial issues of modern life, including household 9
budgets, consumer debt, loan applications and obligations, and 10
successful retirement planning.11
(2) The legislature also recognizes that it has taken meaningful 12
steps to support financial education instruction in public schools, 13
including establishing the financial education public-private 14
partnership in 2004, adopting financial education learning standards 15
in 2015, and providing funds in 2022 for financial education 16
professional development for certificated staff. 17
(3) The legislature also recognizes the state board of education 18
has undertaken FutureReady, an initiative to streamline the 19
graduation requirements framework to promote accessibility and 20
equity. 21
Z-0526.1
SENATE BILL 5849
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Cortes, Valdez, Gildon, Hasegawa, Nobles, Orwall,
Riccelli, Slatter, Trudeau, and C. Wilson; by request of State
Treasurer
Prefiled 12/08/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
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(4) In recognition of the relevance and importance of personal 1
finance knowledge, the ongoing efforts of the financial education 2
public-private partnership, the ability of public schools to teach or 3
continue teaching financial education instruction, and in alignment 4
with the FutureReady initiative, the legislature intends to ensure 5
that all Washington students are provided financial education 6
instruction. Therefore, the legislature intends to make financial 7
education instruction a graduation requirement. 8
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.300.468 and 2015 c 211 s 4 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) After consulting with the financial education public-private 11
partnership, the office of the superintendent of public instruction 12
shall make available to all school districts a list of instructional 13
materials that align with the financial education learning standards 14
((integrated into the state learning standards pursuant to RCW 15
28A.300.460(2)(d))) required under RCW 28A.655.070.16
(2) School districts shall provide all students in grades nine 17
through ((twelve)) 12 the opportunity to access the financial 18
education standards, whether through a regularly scheduled class 19
period; before or after school; during lunch periods; at library and 20
study time; at home; via online learning opportunities; through 21
career and technical education course s equivalencies; or other 22
opportunities. School districts shall publicize the availability of 23
financial education opportunities to students and their families. 24
School districts are encouraged to grant credit toward high school 25
graduation to students who successfully complete financial education 26
courses. 27
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 28
RCW to read as follows: 29
(1)(a) Beginning in or before the 2029-30 school year, each 30
school district that operates a high school shall provide all high 31
school students with financial education instruction that is 32
consistent with the state financial education learning standards 33
required under RCW 28A.655.070. 34
(b) Each student must meet high school learning standards related 35
to financial education in order to graduate from high school, 36
beginning with the earlier of the graduating class of 2033 or as 37
recommended by the state board of education. 38
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(2)(a) The state board of education shall recommend needed 1
adjustments to graduation requirements and other educational 2
offerings in order to ensure students have adequate opportunity to 3
meet the graduation requirement established in subsection (1)(b) of 4
this section. 5
(b) In developing the recommendations, the state board of 6
education shall: 7
(i) Consult with the financial education public-private 8
partnership, students, parents and legal guardians, educators, K-12 9
education partners, postsecondary partners, employers, and community 10
members; 11
(ii) Consider how students may meet financial education learning 12
standards and develop other skills and knowledge in the state's 13
profile of a graduate developed under section 1, chapter 144, Laws of 14
2021 while meeting standards in core subject areas; and15
(iii) Consider how to incorporate the requirement established in 16
subsection (1)(b) of this section into the framework of graduation 17
requirements, including consideration of credit options and 18
competency-based options. 19
(c) The state board of education shall submit a report with 20
recommendations to the governor and education committees of the 21
legislature by December 31, 2026. 22
(3) Beginning no later than the 2027-28 school year, school 23
districts shall publicize the offering of financial education 24
instruction, and the associated graduation requirement, to students 25
and their parents or legal guardians. 26
(4) Students in grade 12 who have not been able to meet the 27
graduation requirement established in subsection (1)(b) of this 28
section because of previous residence outside the state may have the 29
requirement waived by their principal. Waivers provided in accordance 30
with this subsection (4) may only be issued on an individual basis.31
(5)(a) The state board of education shall review and monitor 32
financial education offerings to ensure school district compliance 33
with the requirements of subsection (1)(a) of this section. The 34
reviews and monitoring required by this subsection (5) may be 35
conducted concurrently with other oversight and monitoring conducted 36
by the state board of education. 37
(b) The state board of education, in accordance with RCW 38
43.01.036, shall provide a summary of the information collected under 39
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this subsection (5) for school years 2027-28 and 2028-29 to the 1
appropriate committees of the legislature by January 10, 2029.2
(6) This section governs school operation and management under 3
RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools 4
established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education 5
compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as 6
it applies to school districts. 7
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