There are few legislative days left in the 2022 state legislative session.

One bill that should make its way through the state House of Representatives and onto Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk is Senate Bill 1243. Republican Sen. Chris Gebhard’s bill would require high school students to complete a half-credit economics and personal finance course as a high school graduation requirement.

That course would be in line with standards established by the second edition of the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics and the 2013 National Standards for Financial Literacy, as developed by the Council for Economic Education. Classes would start in 2024-25.

Such information used to be taught regularly in schools but have been phased out in favor of other courses deemed more important. A recent Champlain College Centers for Experience report cited a 2017 T. Rowe Price Survey that found 69% of parents have some reluctance about discussing financial matters with their children, and only 23% of youth surveyed indicated they talk to their parents frequently about money.

A 2014 study cited by Champlain College found that mandated personal finance education in high school improved the credit scores and reduced the default rates of young adults.

Gebhard’s bill is a good one. It’s not an onerous requirement on schools and could have enormous benefit to the state’s graduating seniors.

Now that it has passed the Senate, it should proceed quickly through the House of Representatives and be signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf.