Making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.
SB 5849 requires all Washington high school students to complete financial education instruction to graduate, beginning with the 2033 graduating class at the earliest. It mandates school districts to provide this instruction aligned with state learning standards, through various formats like regular classes or online options, starting in the 2027-28 school year. The bill also requires districts to publicize the requirement to students and families and allows principals to grant individual waivers for students who moved to Washington after the requirement began. This policy directly affects all public high school students in Washington state and builds on existing financial education efforts.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Dec 8, 2025
Last action Feb 4, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
3
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.
upper
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about SB 5849
Scope: WA
Hi! I can help you understand SB 5849. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline