On Friday, Fox Business reported that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed legislation requiring high school students in Florida to take a financial literacy course in order to graduate. The law includes teaching them how to fill out their tax forms (which might turn them into conservatives).

The article reports:

The bill, titled the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act, requires students to take a half-credit in personal financial literacy and money management. The legislation requires that the course cover basic skills, such as how to manage a bank account, balance a checkbook, complete a loan application and compute federal income taxes.

The article concludes:

According to a study by financial literacy non-profit Next Gen Personal Finance, nearly 7 out of 10 high school students in the U.S. had access to a standalone personal finance class in 2021, but only 1 in 5 were guaranteed to take such a course in order to graduate.

Next Gen’s director of educational outreach, Yanely Espinal, told FOX Business several other states are considering legislation requiring personal finance courses, including Michigan, Georgia and South Carolina.

Espinal hailed Florida‘s move.

“Florida ranks 3rd in the nation for K-12 Achievement and is a leader in the education space,” she said. “This financial literacy bill will have a ripple effect on other states, especially because it passed unanimously in both the Senate and House showing it is truly a bipartisan matter.”

“Everyone agrees that our students need and deserve 21st century relevant financial skills,” Espinal added.

Learning financial skills will also help them become educated voters. Teaching financial literacy is a really good idea.