Personal Finance Flexibility Act

Prior to task force meetings, ALEC posts these legislative member-submitted draft model policies to our website. The draft model policies are then discussed, debated, and voted on by ALEC task force members. Policies that receive final approval by legislators on the ALEC Board of Directors become official ALEC model policy. Draft model policies that fail to become official ALEC model policy are removed from the website.

Policy Status

  • Type: Model Policy
  • Status: Draft
  • Date Introduced: July 23, 2026

Task Forces

  • Education and Workforce Development

    • Tags

  • 2026 Annual Meeting

    • Summary

    This model policy gives school districts flexibility in how they satisfy a personal finance graduation requirement, allowing students to complete either a half-credit standalone personal finance course or a one-credit integrated course that embeds personal finance into subjects like business, economics, math, CTE, or family and consumer sciences. Required content includes earning income, budgeting, saving, investing, managing credit and debt, and risk management, including insurance.   
    Draft

    Personal Finance Flexibility Act

    Section 1. Short Title.      

    This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “Personal Finance Flexibility Act.”  

    Section 2. Purpose.     

    The Legislature finds and declares the following:  

    • (A) Personal finance education is essential to the long-term economic well-being of students and the fiscal prosperity of [insert State];  
    • (B) Public school districts should have flexibility in determining how best to deliver high-quality personal finance instruction to meet the needs of their students and communities;  
    • (C) Allowing personal finance instruction in a variety of formats, including standalone courses, integrated courses, advanced placement courses, and other college credit-bearing courses, expands school and student choice, increases scheduling flexibility, ensures broad access to high-quality financial education that meets established standards, and prepares students for real-world financial decision-making; and  
    • (D) It is the intent of the legislature to ensure that any personal finance graduation requirement may be satisfied through high-quality instruction, whether delivered as a standalone course or integrated within a broader course of study, provided that the instruction fully addresses the required content standards established by the state.  

    Section 3. Definitions.   

    • (A) “Personal finance instruction” means instruction that addresses each of the following content areas related to personal finance:  
      1. Earning income and employment;  
      2. Spending and budgeting;  
      3. Saving;  
      4. Investing;  
      5. Managing credit and debt; and  
      6. Risk management, including insurance.   
    • (B) “Standalone course” means a course worth one-half credit devoted exclusively to personal finance instruction.  
    • (C) “Integrated course” means a high school course worth one credit that:  
      1. Embeds personal finance instruction within a broader course of study that may include business, economics, mathematics, career and technical education, family and consumer sciences, or other related content areas; and  
      2. Provides students with the opportunity to earn postsecondary credit.  
    • (D) “State personal finance standards” means the personal finance instruction content standards adopted by the [insert applicable State agency] pursuant to [insert cross-sectional reference].  

    Section 4. Flexibility in Delivery of Personal Finance Instruction.       

    • (A) Any personal finance instruction graduation requirement established by state law or regulation shall be deemed satisfied upon successful completion of either:
      1. A standalone course; or 
      2. An integrated course, provided that such course aligns with state personal finance standards.  
    • (B) No state agency or public school district shall adopt or enforce a rule, policy, or guidance that requires personal finance instruction to be delivered exclusively through a standalone course, or that otherwise excludes from consideration any integrated course.  

    Section 5. Severability.  

    If any provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of its provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.  

    Section 6. Effective Date.   

    This Act shall take effect on [insert date].