Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1530
By Senator Collins
14-00479A-25 20251530__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Smart Living course; providing
3 a short title; amending s. 1003.4156, F.S.; requiring
4 students in grade 8 to take the Smart Living Course
5 for promotion to high school beginning in a specified
6 school year; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring that
7 a curriculum known as “Smart Living” be included in
8 required instruction as two stand-alone courses
9 beginning in a specified school year; providing
10 requirements for the curriculum; amending s.
11 1003.4282, F.S.; revising the number of credits
12 certain students must earn to be awarded a standard
13 high school diploma beginning in a specified year;
14 requiring certain students to earn one credit in Smart
15 Living to be awarded a standard high school diploma;
16 providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Smart Living
21 Curriculum Act.”
22 Section 2. Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (1) of
23 section 1003.4156, Florida Statutes, to read:
24 1003.4156 General requirements for middle grades
25 promotion.—
26 (1) In order for a student to be promoted to high school
27 from a school that includes middle grades 6, 7, and 8, the
28 student must successfully complete the following courses:
29 (f) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the Smart
30 Living course as described in s. 1003.42(2)(w).
31 Section 3. Paragraph (w) is added to subsection (2) of
32 section 1003.42, Florida Statutes, to read:
33 1003.42 Required instruction.—
34 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public
35 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education
36 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and
37 faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the
38 highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy,
39 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing
40 approved methods of instruction, the following:
41 (w)1. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, a curriculum
42 known as “Smart Living” must be implemented in two stand-alone
43 courses for students in grade 8 and in grades 9 through 12,
44 respectively. The Smart Living curriculum must be centered
45 around preparing students for life after graduation as adults.
46 The curriculum must cover practical subjects deemed necessary to
47 transition effectively to and function in adulthood. Such
48 subjects must be divided appropriately between the two courses
49 required under this subparagraph and must include, but need not
50 be limited to:
51 a. Financial literacy, in addition to the requirements of
52 s. 1003.4282(3)(h), including, but not limited to, all of the
53 following:
54 (I) How to create a personal budget.
55 (II) How personal credit works, including using a credit
56 card and applying for different types of loans.
57 (III) How to manage debt.
58 (IV) How to file a tax return.
59 (V) The home-buying process, including home insurance.
60 (VI) How to write a check, including signing such check in
61 cursive writing.
62 b. Personal future planning, including, but not limited to,
63 all of the following:
64 (I) Career readiness, such as exploration of one’s own
65 personality and passions.
66 (II) Postgraduation paths, such as college, trade school,
67 and full-time employment.
68 (III) Creating a resume.
69 (IV) Applying for scholarships.
70 c. Critical thinking and decisionmaking.
71 d. Practical knowledge for situations an adult may find
72 himself or herself in, such as changing a car tire or doing home
73 maintenance.
74 e. Reading and writing in cursive.
75 f. How to complete the Free Application for Federal Student
76 Aid (FAFSA), including the need to create a Federal Student Aid
77 ID, documents and information required to complete the FAFSA,
78 and how to interpret a FAFSA submission summary and a financial
79 aid offer.
80
81 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards
82 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection.
83 Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the
84 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is
85 offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or
86 other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness
87 initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u).
88 Section 4. Paragraph (g) of subsection (3) and paragraph
89 (a) of subsection (9) of section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes,
90 are amended, and paragraph (i) is added to subsection (3) of
91 that section, to read:
92 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.—
93 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT
94 REQUIREMENTS.—
95 (g) Credits in electives.—School districts must develop and
96 offer coordinated electives so that a student may develop
97 knowledge and skills in his or her area of interest, such as
98 electives with a STEM or liberal arts focus. Such electives must
99 include opportunities for students to earn college credit,
100 including industry-certified career education programs or series
101 of career-themed courses that result in industry certification
102 or articulate into the award of college credit, or career
103 education courses for which there is a statewide or local
104 articulation agreement and which lead to college credit. A
105 student entering grade 9 before the 2023-2024 school year must
106 earn eight credits in electives. A student entering grade 9 in
107 the 2023-2024 school year through the 2025-2026 school year or
108 thereafter must earn seven and one-half credits in electives. A
109 student entering grade 9 in the 2026-2027 school year or
110 thereafter must earn six and one-half credits in electives.
111 (i) One credit in Smart Living.—Beginning with students
112 entering grade 9 in the 2026-2027 school year, each student must
113 earn one credit in Smart Living to prepare for life after
114 graduation. This instruction meets the requirements of s.
115 1003.42(2)(w).
116 (9) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION GRADUATION PATHWAY
117 OPTION.—Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a student is
118 eligible to complete an alternative pathway to earning a
119 standard high school diploma through the Career and Technical
120 Education (CTE) pathway option. Receipt of a standard high
121 school diploma awarded through the CTE pathway option requires
122 the student’s successful completion of at least 18 credits. A
123 student completing the CTE pathway option must earn at least a
124 cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
125 (a) In order for a student to satisfy the requirements of
126 the CTE pathway option, he or she must meet the GPA requirement
127 and:
128 1. Meet the requirements in paragraphs (3)(a)-(d) and,
129 additionally, for students entering grade 9 in the 2023-2024
130 school year and thereafter, paragraph (3)(h), and for students
131 entering grade 9 in the 2026-2027 school year and thereafter,
132 paragraph (3)(i);
133 2. Complete two credits in career and technical education.
134 The courses must result in a program completion and an industry
135 certification; and
136 3.a. For a student who enters grade 9 before the 2023-2024
137 school year, complete two credits in electives or work-based
138 learning programs. A one-half credit in financial literacy may
139 be included in the two credits of electives; or
140 b. For a student who enters grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school
141 year and thereafter, complete one and one-half credits in
142 electives or work-based learning programs.
143 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.