On April 24, the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved House Bill 27, a transformative piece of legislation proposing all Texas public high school students complete a standalone semester-long course in personal financial literacy for graduation. The bill passed with a remarkable 140-1 vote, signaling broad support for equipping Texas students with essential real-world financial fundamentals.

Representative Ken King (R - Canadian) jointly authored HB 27 with Representative Linda Garcia (D - Austin) to ensure that every student graduates with the financial knowledge needed to make informed decisions about money, from budgeting and understanding products and services offered by local banks and credit unions, to building credit and investing.

“This bill puts Texas on the path to becoming the 28th state to guarantee every high school student a comprehensive financial education, which is essential for fostering lifelong self-reliance and economic competency,” said Representative Ken King.

Longtime advocates, including the NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, celebrate the commitment of Texas lawmakers, teachers, students and local organizations who have worked tirelessly to champion financial literacy education throughout the state. 

Representative Linda Garcia commented, “With the passage of this bill, the Texas House has made it clear that we are prioritizing our students and preparing them to enter the workforce and manage their own finances. I’m grateful to Chairman King for his continued work on financial literacy initiatives and Speaker Burrows for making this a priority in the Texas House. This bill will make a material impact on the number of students graduating with the knowledge and skills they need to be financially prepared for life after high school.”

Many educators and leaders agree that requiring financial literacy education will close a critical gap and prepare young Texans for the economic realities they’ll face upon graduation.

Vincent Branch, a longtime educator and leader in Houston ISD shared, “My own financial education came from on-the-job training and costly mistakes. Wouldn’t we rather our young people learn these valuable lessons in our public schools, rather than in the school of ‘hard knocks,’ as I and so many other adults in Texas did?”

Teachers recognize that financial literacy is a course that increases engagement among students. Teens are genuinely curious about how to buy their first car, comparison shop for the best loan offer, or decide where to put cash savings for future goals like college, or starting a business. 

Yanely Espinal, the Director of Educational Outreach at financial education nonprofit, Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF.org), shared that educators have worked really hard to prepare for this change.

“Texas teachers have completed nearly 20,000 cumulative hours of free professional development workshops with NGPF.org. These sessions vary in topic from taxes and investing, to consumer skills and new types of credit. They’re ready to teach students personal financial literacy skills that are 21st century relevant,” said Espinal. 

The near-unanimous vote is a result of years of coalition-building that made this milestone possible. The bill now moves to the Texas Senate for consideration. 

The NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for this policy in all states, is a supporter of HB 27. 

About the Author

Yanely Espinal

Born and raised by Dominican, immigrant parents in Brooklyn, Yanely is a proud product of NYC public schools. She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in 2007 before going on to receive her bachelor's degree at Brown University in 2011. As a Teach For America corps member, Yanely taught third and fourth grade in Canarsie, Brooklyn. She received her master's degree from Relay Graduate School of Education in 2013. She spends her spare time making YouTube videos about personal finance on her channel, MissBeHelpful. Yanely also loves to dance, sew, paint, listen to podcasts, and babysit her 10 nieces and nephews!

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