Article 6 - Primary Education Model Curriculum for Lifelong Health, Aging, and Financial Literacy

California Education Code — §§ 51280-51284.5

Sections (4)

Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 541, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2003.

(a)The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1)There are profound personal and financial implications for Californians associated with the average life expectancy steadily increasing toward 100 years of age.

(2)The savings rate among “boomers” continues to drop, while their cumulative debt continues to rise.

(3)A majority of workers choose to “cash out” of their employment savings plans when changing jobs, rather than transferring the accounts upon job changes and maintaining their savings in these accounts.

(4)It is estimated that 40 to 50 percent of “boomers” will likely find themselves living their later years in financial hardship.

(5)Californians should be financially prepared for, and aware of, the lifelong health issues associated with later life.

(b)It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that will result in the education of all Californians regarding our prospect of becoming an “aging” state, including education as to all of the following:

(1)The changes we can expect in the later years of our lives.

(2)The changes we can expect of a society that is growing older.

(3)How we can be better prepared to sustain ourselves and our society in the coming years.

(4)The financial realities of living for a century.

(5)The importance of saving and financial planning.

(6)The financial benefits of healthful living and disease prevention.

(7)A new vision of aging, thereby dispelling ageist myths.

(8)An understanding of chronic disease and illness, with an emphasis on disease prevention and health in later life.

§ 51282

Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 541, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2003.

(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish educational requirements in order to instill in California’s youth a sense of importance about lifelong financial planning and preparation, including, among other things, the costs of health care, in a much-extended later life.

(b)Educational institutions have developed a model curriculum in lifelong healthy aging and financial preparedness, with materials, free of charge, for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to disseminate to school teachers at the local level.

(c)The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall make this existing curriculum available to teachers, using materials that are currently available at no cost, with information and links provided through the Internet, in order to provide to students in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, instruction on human growth, human development, and financial preparedness.

§ 51284

Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 135, Sec. 3. (AB 166) Effective January 1, 2014.

Concurrently with, but not prior to, the next revision of textbooks or curriculum frameworks in the social sciences, health, and mathematics curricula, the state board shall ensure that these academic areas integrate components of human growth, human development, and human contribution to society, across the life course, and also financial literacy, including, but not limited to, budgeting and managing credit, student loans,

consumer debt, and identity theft security.

§ 51284.5

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 8, Sec. 47. (AB 121) Effective June 27, 2025.

Notwithstanding Section 51284, when the history-social science curriculum framework is revised after January 1, 2017, the Instructional Quality Commission shall consider including both of the following:

(a)Age-appropriate information for grade spans, as listed in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (b), on financial literacy that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1)Fundamentals of banking for personal use, including, but not limited to, savings and checking and managing to minimize fees.

(2)Principles of budgeting for independent living.

(3)Employment

and understanding factors that affect net income, including the topics described in subdivision (a) of Section 49110.5.

(4)Uses and effects of credit, including managing credit scores and the relation of debt and interest to credit.

(5)Uses and costs of loans, including student loans, as well as policies that provide student loan forgiveness.

(6)Types and costs of insurance, including home, auto, health, and life insurance.

(7)Impacts of the tax system, including its impact on personal income, the process to file taxes, and how to read tax forms and pay stubs.

(8)Principles of investing and building wealth, including investment alternatives to build financial security, including

tax-advantaged investments such as pensions and 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and index funds.

(9)Enhancing consumer protection skills by raising awareness of common scams and frauds and preventing identity theft.

(10)Identifying means to finance college, workforce education, low-cost community college options, and other career technical educational pathways or apprenticeships. Financing options covered may include scholarships, merit aid, the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program, as established in Article 19.5 (commencing with Section 69996) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3, and student loans.

(11)Understanding how

psychology can impact one’s financial well-being.

(12)Charitable giving.

(13)Other topics that are directly and specifically relevant to personal finance.

(b)Age-appropriate content related to the topics listed in paragraphs (1) to (13), inclusive, of subdivision (a), at least twice in each of the following grade spans:

(1)Kindergarten and grades 1 to 5, inclusive.

(2)Grades 6 to 8, inclusive.

(3)Grades 9 to 12, inclusive.