Relating To Financial Literacy.
HB936 requires the Hawaii Department of Education to develop and implement a statewide financial literacy curriculum plan for public school students in grades 9 through 12. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, all public high schools would have to offer financial literacy instruction as a graduation requirement, either as a standalone course or integrated into existing coursework, so long as all required topics are covered.
The bill specifies core subject areas that must be included in the curriculum: budgeting and financial planning, saving and investing, retirement planning, credit and debt management, taxes and tax planning, loans and interest, fraud prevention and identity theft, and economic principles and entrepreneurship. It also requires teacher professional development, pilot programs, phased implementation planning, publication of approved resources and standards, and the creation of a coordinator position within the department’s office of curriculum and instructional design to oversee implementation and periodic review.
HB936 would amend Chapter 302A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes by adding a new section governing financial literacy instruction in public high schools. It would impose new duties on the Department of Education and the Board of Education, including curriculum development, rulemaking, teacher training, implementation planning, and ongoing oversight, while also establishing a new coordinator role within the department. The bill would affect public high schools, teachers, students in grades 9-12, and the state education system generally by making financial literacy a required component of graduation starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure suggest generally favorable sentiment toward expanding practical education for students, especially given Hawaii’s high cost of living and the emphasis on preparing students for real-world financial decisions. The available record contains no committee transcripts or recorded votes, so there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill text itself. Overall, the measure appears framed as a broadly beneficial education policy initiative.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or vote records. Based on the bill text alone, likely areas of debate could include whether financial literacy should be a graduation requirement, how schools should fit the requirement into existing coursework, the administrative burden on the Department of Education and teachers, and the cost of creating training, pilot programs, and a new coordinator position. However, these concerns are not expressly stated in the available record.