By: Farney, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Patrick) H.B. No. 2662
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2013;
May 7, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 14, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 14, 2013, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a personal financial literacy credit for high school
programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 28.002(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through
grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum:
(1) a foundation curriculum that includes:
(A) English language arts;
(B) mathematics;
(C) science; and
(D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United
States, and world history, government, economics, with emphasis on
the free enterprise system and its benefits, and geography; and
(2) an enrichment curriculum that includes:
(A) to the extent possible, languages other than
English;
(B) health, with emphasis on the importance of
proper nutrition and exercise;
(C) physical education;
(D) fine arts;
(E) career and technology education;
(F) technology applications; [and]
(G) religious literature, including the Hebrew
Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament, and its impact on
history and literature; and
(H) personal financial literacy.
SECTION 2. Section 28.0021(a), Education Code, as amended
by Chapters 214 (H.B. 34) and 885 (S.B. 290), Acts of the 82nd
Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, is reenacted and amended to
read as follows:
(a) The Texas essential knowledge and skills and, as
applicable, Section 28.025 shall include [require] instruction in
personal financial literacy, including instruction in methods of
paying for college and other postsecondary education and training,
in:
(1) mathematics instruction in kindergarten through
grade eight; and
(2) one or more courses offered [required] for high
school graduation.
SECTION 3. Sections 28.0021(b) and (c), Education Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) Each school district and each open-enrollment charter
school that offers a high school program shall provide an elective
course [to a student instruction] in personal financial literacy
that meets [in any course meeting] the requirements for a one-half
elective [an economics] credit under Section 28.025, using
materials approved by the State Board of Education. The
instruction in personal financial literacy must include
instruction on completing the application for federal student aid
provided by the United States Department of Education. In
fulfilling the requirement to provide financial literacy
instruction under this section, a school district or
open-enrollment charter school may use an existing state, federal,
private, or nonprofit program that provides students without charge
the instruction described under this section. [Each district and
each open-enrollment charter school that offers a high school
program shall ensure that a district or charter school student
enrolled at an institution of higher education in a dual credit
course meeting the requirements for an economics credit under
Section 28.025 receives the instruction described under this
subsection.]
(c) The State Board of Education shall, not later than
January 31, 2012, identify the essential knowledge and skills of
personal financial literacy instruction to include instruction in
methods of paying for college and other postsecondary education and
training and shall, not later than August 31, 2012, approve under
Subsection (b) materials that provide for such
instruction. Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, each
school district and each open-enrollment charter school that offers
a high school program shall include, in the elective course
[required instruction] in personal financial literacy, instruction
in methods of paying for college and other postsecondary education
and training and use materials approved for that purpose under
Subsection (b) [and shall ensure that the instruction described
under this subsection is provided to a district or charter school
student enrolled at an institution of higher education in a dual
credit course meeting the requirements for an economics
credit]. This subsection expires September 1, 2014.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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