SCR 154: URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ADD TAX INSTRUCTION TO ITS FINANCIAL LITERACY GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ADD TAX INSTRUCTION TO ITS FINANCIAL LITERACY GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

     WHEREAS, as the old adage by Benjamin Franklin states, "in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes"; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Tax Foundation's 2024 National Tax Literacy Poll, the majority of respondents did not know or were not sure of basic tax concepts related to income tax filing, with only two percent classified as proficient in tax knowledge; and

     WHEREAS, more than half of states nationwide have mandated or are in the process of implementing financial literacy education requirements in high schools; and

     WHEREAS, starting with the Class of 2030, all Hawaii public school students will be required to complete a financial literacy educational opportunity; and

     WHEREAS, schools may meet this requirement through a variety of instructional approaches, including a standalone elective course, integration into existing courses, self-paced learning options, or other instructional designs that align with the Department of Education's (Department) financial literacy program standards; and

     WHEREAS, the standards developed by the Department's Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design are based on the 2021 National Standards for Personal Finance Education from the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy; and

     WHEREAS, the six major topic areas will include earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk; and

     WHEREAS, as all students will one day be responsible for filing taxes, the only way to truly give students a holistic understanding of finances would be to include this subject as a major topic area in the required financial literacy graduation requirement; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is urged to include taxes as a major topic area as part of the financial literacy graduation requirement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that tax instruction should include but not be limited to how to complete a 1040 form, understanding W‑4 forms, payroll deductions, federal versus state income taxes, sales and property taxes, and tax brackets; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Education, and Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design.

Report Title: 

DOE Financial Literacy Requirement; Curriculum; Taxes

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ADD TAX INSTRUCTION TO ITS FINANCIAL LITERACY GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

     WHEREAS, as the old adage by Benjamin Franklin states "in this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes"; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Tax Foundation's 2024 National Tax Literacy Poll, the majority of respondents did not know or were not sure of basic tax concepts related to income tax filing, with one only two per cent classified as "proficient" in tax literacy; and

     WHEREAS, more than half of US states have mandated or are in the process of implementing financial literacy education requirements in high schools; and

     WHEREAS, starting with the Class of 2030, all Hawaii public school students will be required to complete a financial literacy educational opportunity; and

     WHEREAS, schools may meet this requirement through a variety of instructional approaches, including a standalone elective course, integration into existing courses, self-paced learning options, or other instructional designs that align with the DOE's financial literacy program standards; and

     WHEREAS, the standards developed by the DOE's Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design are based on the 2021 National Standards for Personal Finance Education from the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy; and

     WHEREAS, the six major topic areas will include earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk; and

     WHEREAS, as all students will one day be responsible for filing taxes, the only way to truly give students a holistic understanding of finances would be to include this subject as a major topic area as well; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawaii State Department of Education is urged to include taxes as a major topic area as part of the financial literacy graduation requirement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that tax instruction should include, but not be limited to, how to complete a 1040 form, understanding W-4 forms, payroll deductions, federal versus state income taxes, sales and property taxes, and tax brackets; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education, members of the Board of Education, and the DOE Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design.

Report Title: 

DOE Financial Literacy Requirement; Curriculum; Taxes