New York Assembly Bill A05052

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/11/25
• Refer: 2/11/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires high schools in grades nine through twelve to provide a course in financial literacy; requires students to complete such course as a condition of graduation.

Summary

This bill would require the New York State Education Commissioner to prescribe a financial literacy course for students in grades 9 through 12. The course must cover practical personal finance topics including budgeting, wages and taxes, self-employment, saving and investing, debt management, checking and credit accounts, credit scores, insurance, retirement savings, tenant rights, and the financial tradeoffs involved in borrowing, leasing, renting, and buying a car or home. The instruction would be taught on a pass/fail basis and would not affect a student’s GPA. The bill also makes completion of the course a graduation requirement for high school students. An exception is included for students with disabilities whose individualized education programs do not specifically require the course, so long as the requirement is not part of the student’s IEP. The act would take effect on July 1 following enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend the New York Education Law by adding a new section requiring statewide financial literacy instruction in high schools and tying successful completion of that course to graduation eligibility. It would place responsibility on the Education Commissioner to define the curriculum and on school authorities to provide facilities, time, and instructional materials. The measure would directly affect public high schools, students in grades 9-12, and students with disabilities subject to IEP-based exceptions.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a broadly educational and practical reform rather than a controversial policy change. Its sponsors and co-sponsors suggest legislative support for expanding life-skills education, and the bill’s pass/fail structure indicates an effort to minimize academic burden while still making the subject mandatory. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is provided in the materials.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the graduation requirement itself, since making a new course mandatory can raise concerns about curriculum crowding, implementation costs, and local control over school programming. Another issue is whether schools will have sufficient resources and instructional capacity to deliver a standardized financial literacy curriculum statewide. The bill addresses disability-related concerns by exempting students whose IEPs do not include the requirement, but the scope and administration of that exception could still be a point of discussion.