SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5849
As of January 30, 2026
Title: An act relating to making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.
Brief Description: Making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.
Sponsors: Senators Cortes, Valdez, Gildon, Hasegawa, Nobles, Orwall, Riccelli, Slatter, Trudeau and Wilson, C.; by request of State Treasurer.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/04/26.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires students to meet the high school learning standards related to financial education in order to graduate from high school, beginning no later than 2033.
  • Directs the State Board of Education to work with stakeholders to recommend adjustments to graduation requirements and educational offerings, and report to the Legislature.
  • Directs the State Board of Education to monitor financial education offerings to ensure district compliance, and report to the Legislature.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION
Staff: Elena Becker (786-7493)
Background:

Graduation Requirements. To graduate from high school, Washington students must complete 24 credits in various subject areas, meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway, complete a High School and Beyond Plan, and satisfy any local requirements.

 

Learning Standards. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is required to develop state learning standards based on the statutory goals of basic education. The fourth goal addresses the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.

 

At the Legislature's direction, OSPI adopted financial education learning standards in 2016. The financial education learning standards are:

  • spending and saving;
  • credit and debt;
  • employment and income;
  • investing;
  • risk management and insurance; and
  • financial decision-making.
Summary of Bill:

Beginning in or before the 2029-30 school year, school districts must provide all high school students with financial education instruction consistent with the state financial education learning standards.  Starting with the graduating class of 2033, or earlier if recommended by the State Board of Education (SBE), all students must meet high school learning standards related to financial education in order to graduate from high school. Principals may waive this requirement for students in grade 12 who have been unable to meet this requirement because of previous residence outside of Washington.

 

SBE is directed to recommend adjustments to graduation requirements and other educational offerings in order to ensure students have adequate opportunity to meet the financial education graduation requirement. In developing these recommendations, the SBE must:

  • consult with the financial education public-private partnership, students, parents and legal guardians, educators, K-12 education partners, postsecondary partners, employers, and community members;
  • consider how students may meet financial education learning standards and develop other skills and knowledge in the state's profile of a graduate; and
  • consider how to incorporate the financial education graduation requirement into the existing framework of graduation requirements, including credit and competency-based options.

 

The SBE must report these recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by December 31, 2026. School districts must begin publicizing financial education instruction opportunities and the associated graduation requirement no later than the 2027-28 school year.

 

The SBE must review and monitor financial education offerings to ensure district compliance. By January 10, 2029, the SBE must submit a summary of this information for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years to the Legislature. 

 

These requirements apply to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools to the same extent as school districts.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 28, 2026.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.