California legislators introduced a bill in January that would require schools to teach middle and high school students about personal finance.

Assembly Bill 1871, introduced Jan. 22 by Assemblyman Juan Alanis, would require public schools to teach personal finance literacy as a part of its social science curriculum for grades 7 through 12.

It would also require such to be taught in any career technical education courses offered by schools.

Mr. Alanis, in a statement to The Epoch Times, said such would equip students with “essential knowledge on saving, budgeting, investing and other key financial concepts.”

Mr. Alanis also said that the “diverse communities” he represents—including the central California cities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, and Patterson—would “greatly benefit” from the bill.

“By equipping future generations with a comprehensive grasp of personal finance, we can ensure they are better prepared to achieve financial independence as adults,” he said, adding that the bill “stands as a critical step towards bridging the gap in financial competence by teaching critical life skills prior to adulthood.”

The bill was recently referred to the Assembly’s Committee on Education, where it will be heard in the coming weeks.