CS/HB 1261 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to personal financial literacy; 2
providing a short title; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; 3
revising the requirements for the one -half credit in 4
personal financial literacy to include specified 5
instruction; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Smart Living 10
Act." 11
Section 2. Paragraph (h) of subse ction (3) of section 12
1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 13
1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school 14
diploma.— 15
(3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT 16
REQUIREMENTS.— 17
(h) One-half credit in personal financial literac y.—18
Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2023 -2024 school 19
year, each student must earn one -half credit in personal 20
financial literacy and money management. This instruction must 21
include discussion of or instruction in all of the following: 22
1. Types of bank accounts offered, opening and managing a 23
bank account, and assessing the quality of a depository 24
institution's services. 25
CS/HB 1261 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
2. How to write a check, including signing such check in 26
cursive writing and balancing a checkbook. 27
3. Basic principles of money management, such as how to 28
create a personal budget, spending, how personal credit works, 29
including using a credit card , credit scores, and managing debt, 30
including retail and credit card debt. 31
4. Completing a loan application for different types of 32
loans. 33
5. The home-buying process, including residential property 34
insurance. 35
6.5. Receiving an inheritance and related implications. 36
7.6. Basic principles of personal insurance policies. 37
8.7. Computing federal income taxes and how to file a tax 38
return. 39
9.8. Local tax assessments. 40
10.9. Computing interest rates by various mechanisms. 41
11.10. Simple contracts. 42
12.11. Contesting an incorrect billing statement. 43
13.12. Types of savings and investments. 44
14.13. State and federal laws conc erning finance. 45
15. Personal future planning, including, but not limited 46
to, all of the following: 47
a. Career readiness, such as exploration of one's own 48
personality and passions. 49
b. Postgraduation paths, such as college, trade school, 50
CS/HB 1261 2025
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
and full-time employment. 51
c. Creating a resume. 52
d. Applying for scholarships. 53
16. Critical thinking and decisionmaking. 54
17. Practical knowledge for situations an adult may find 55
himself or herself in, such as changing a car tire or performing 56
home maintenance. 57
18. How to complete the Free Application for Federal 58
Student Aid (FAFSA), including the need to create a Federal 59
Student ID, documents and information required to complete the 60
FAFSA, and how to interpret a FAFSA submission summary and a 61
financial aid offer. 62
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 63