Relating to the Cascadia High Speed Rail Task Force; prescribing an effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Lew Frederick and 3 co-sponsors

Allows Maryland students to substitute part of the 75-hour student service requirement with an approved financial literacy course, with local boards setting the credited hours.

In committee upon adjournment.

SB 715 — Student Service Hours: Financial Literacy Course

Status: Hearing scheduled 3/07 at 9:00 a.m.
Introduced: February 21, 2025
Jurisdiction: Maryland (cross-file HB 326)
Primary sponsors: Senators Brooks and Watson (also recorded as Sen. Rhoads et al. in versioning)
Effective date: Takes effect July 1, 2025; applies beginning with the 2026–2027 school year

Purpose / Intent

The bill allows successful completion of an approved financial literacy course to be counted toward the high school student service hours graduation requirement. The intent is to promote financial literacy among high school students and to permit course completion (delivered by approved higher‑education institutions or organizations) to substitute for some or all of the required student service‑learning hours, at the discretion of local school boards.

Key provisions

Definition: An "eligible financial literacy course" must provide instructional content on financial literacy concepts and must be:

offered at an institution of higher education, or
offered by an organization approved by the county board of education,
and approved by the county (local) board of education.

County boards requirement: Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, each county board of education must permit successful completion of an eligible financial literacy course to be applied toward fulfillment of the student service hours graduation requirement.

Local discretion on hours: The number of student service hours credited for completing the course is set by each county board.

State regulation: The State Board of Education (SBE) is required to adopt regulations to implement the statute.

Placement in law: Added as a new section to the Maryland Education Article (proposed § 7–213).

Who is affected

High school students in Maryland (eligible to substitute course completion for part of the 75-hour service requirement).

County boards of education (must authorize eligible courses and set the number of hours credited).

Institutions of higher education and community organizations (potential providers of eligible courses; subject to local board approval).

State Board of Education (responsible for regulatory implementation).

Fiscal and operational impact

State: SBE can adopt necessary regulations using existing resources (per fiscal note).

Local: Most local school systems can implement the approval/crediting process using existing resources. If a district creates new financial literacy courses or expands enrollment significantly, there may be increased local expenditures.

Institutions of higher education and local community colleges: No material fiscal impact expected.

Additional context

Current graduation option: Maryland students must complete 75 hours of student service (or a locally designated, approved student‑service program). This bill permits a component of that requirement to be met via approved financial literacy coursework, subject to local board decisions.

Best practices: The Maryland Student Service‑Learning Guidelines emphasize community need, curricular alignment, reflection, and partnerships; local boards will need to balance these principles when substituting course completion for direct service hours.

Bill