SB 1147 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pupil instruction: high school graduation requirements: personal finance.

Summary

Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education and consider including, when revising the history-social science curriculum framework, age-appropriate information on specified financial literacy topics for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, as provided. Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including a one-semester course in economics. Commencing with pupils graduating in the 2030–31 school year, existing law requires the completion of a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance that is prohibited from being combined with any other course. Existing law requires this personal finance course to include information on all of, and only, the above-described financial literacy topics recommended for inclusion in the revised history-social science curriculum framework. Commencing with the 2027–28 school year, existing law requires a local educational agency with pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to offer a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance, and also authorizes a local educational agency to exempt a pupil who completes such a course from the graduation requirement to complete a one-semester course in economics. If a local educational agency elects to offer a personal finance course offered as part of an integrated, year-long course that is equivalent in quality and rigor to the stand-alone personal finance course and that has a course scope that includes, at a minimum, the above-described financial literacy topics recommended for inclusion in the revised history-social science curriculum framework, this bill would (1) deem that course to satisfy the above-described graduation requirement to complete a stand-alone personal finance course, (2) additionally authorize the local educational agency to exempt a pupil who completes such a course from the graduation requirement to complete a one-semester course in economics, and (3) deem that course to satisfy the above-described requirement on local educational agencies with pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to offer a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action May 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/24/26 - Amended Senate → 04/28/26 - Amended Senate · 2 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MINOR

SB 1147 was narrowed in scope by removing its amendment to Section 51220.1 of the Education Code, which had made a nonsubstantive change to the automobile driver education provision regarding alcohol and drug dangers. The bill now solely amends Section 51225.3 to address personal finance as a high school graduation requirement. No changes were made to the substantive policy content of the personal finance provisions themselves.

SCOPE

The amendment to Section 51220.1 (automobile driver education provision on alcohol and drug dangers) was entirely removed from the bill. The old digest described this as a 'nonsubstantive change' to that provision.

The bill's stated purpose changed from amending two sections (51220.1 and 51225.3) to amending only Section 51225.3, narrowing the bill to focus exclusively on personal finance graduation requirements.

02/18/26 - Introduced → 03/24/26 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Mar 24, 2026

MODERATE

SB 1147 was significantly expanded from a nonsubstantive driver education wording fix to include a new substantive provision allowing school districts to offer personal finance as part of an integrated year-long course rather than only as a separate stand-alone semester course. The original minor change to Section 51220.1 (changing 'specified' to 'prescribed') is retained but moved to Section 2. The new flexibility in Section 51225.3 gives local educational agencies more curriculum design options while preserving the required financial literacy content.

Scope change

Expanded from a single nonsubstantive amendment to driver education language to a dual-purpose bill that also adds meaningful flexibility to how personal finance graduation requirements can be met, affecting all local educational agencies with high school pupils statewide.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Section 51225.3 of the Education Code (high school graduation requirements) in addition to the original Section 51220.1 (driver education), substantially broadening the bill's scope.

REQUIREMENT

A local educational agency may now offer a personal finance course as part of an integrated year-long course, provided it is equivalent in quality and rigor to a stand-alone course and includes at minimum the financial literacy topics listed in Section 51284.5(a)(1)-(13).

An integrated year-long personal finance course is deemed to satisfy the LEA's obligation to offer a stand-alone personal finance course in all high schools (required beginning 2027-28).

ELIGIBILITY

If a pupil completes such an integrated year-long personal finance course, the LEA may exempt that pupil from the separate one-semester economics graduation requirement.

The LEA may also award credit toward other subject graduation requirements for coursework completed within the integrated year-long course, not just the personal finance portion.

TECHNICAL

The original nonsubstantive change to Section 51220.1 (replacing 'specified' with 'prescribed') is retained but renumbered from Section 1 to Section 2 of the bill.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 4007.) (April 22).

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Coms. on ED. and APPR.

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors