Students won’t be required to learn financial literacy as Democrats’ bills stall

Examination room, rows of exam seat important competition concept day

A bill requiring students to learn more about financial literacy and career readiness at public school doesn’t seem destined to pass this Legislative Session.

Under current law, students are required to learn about nutrition, personal health, Internet safety, substance abuse and other life skills. A pair of Democrats sought to amend the law to add financial literacy, home economics and career readiness to the list. 

However, SB 816/HB 737 hasn’t been called to a vote in committee with an important deadline looming ahead.

With the Regular Session ending May 2, Tuesday marks the 50th day of Session. 

Senate rules say, “Unless approved by the President, no committee shall meet after the fiftieth day of a regular session except the Rules Committee.”

In schools, students are currently required to earn 1/2 course credit in financial literacy in order to earn a standard high school diploma under the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act which had been an initiative pushed by the late Sen. Dorothy Hukill who passed away in office in 2018.

Sen. Kristen Arrington, a Kissimmee Democrat, sponsored SB 816 while Rep. Daryl Campbell, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, sponsored HB 737.

Neither bill had been called to a vote at the committee level yet.

The Senate version of the bill was referred to three committees: the Education Pre-K-12; Appropriations Committee on Pre-K -12 Education; and Rules.

Meanwhile the House bill appears to have died in the Careers & Workforce Subcommittee without getting a vote so far. The bill was also referred to the Pre-K-12 Budget Subcommittee and Education & Employment Committee.

Campbell and Arrington’s bills are one of several pieces of legislation that haven’t moved forward this Session.

Other proposals that don’t seem likely to get passed include a bill to make it easier to pay for public records and a bill to require the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to set up a “quality certification” program so Floridians know their fish and shrimp isn’t foreign or farmed fish.

Sen. Clay Yarborough confirmed Saturday his bill to allow photographs to be taken in polling places under select circumstances doesn’t have a path forward either.

His bill would have allowed “members of the public to photograph in a polling room or early voting area before the polls open and after the polls close when voting has ended,” while banning “the mounting of any camera or recording device that remains inside a polling room or early voting area during the time any voter is voting.”