88R13292 JTZ-D     By: Creighton S.B. No. 2137       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to requiring public institutions of higher education to   offer an undergraduate course in financial literacy and soft   skills.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 51.305, Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 51.305.  PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AND SOFT SKILLS    [TRAINING].  (a)  In this section:                (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher   Education Coordinating Board.                (2)  "Institution of higher education" ["General   academic teaching institution"] has the meaning assigned by Section   61.003.          (b)  Each institution of higher education [The coordinating   board by rule] shall offer an undergraduate elective course of   three semester credit hours or the equivalent [: (1) require a   general academic teaching institution to offer training] in   personal financial literacy and soft skills. The course must be   offered for credit toward satisfaction of a student's core   curriculum requirement in social and behavioral sciences.          (c)  The personal financial literacy content provided under   the course:                (1)  must include instruction in [to provide students   of the institution with] the knowledge and skills necessary as a   self-supporting adult [adults] to make critical decisions relating   to personal financial matters; and                (2)  [determine the topics to be covered by the   training, which] may include instruction in budgeting, credit   cards, spending, saving, loan repayment and consolidation, taxes,   retirement planning, insurance, and financing of health care and   other benefits.          (d)  The soft skills content provided under the course must   include instruction in:                (1)  workplace ethics and etiquette;                (2)  effective communication;                (3)  leadership;                (4)  organizational skills;                (5)  time management;                (6)  problem solving;                (7)  critical thinking; and                (8)  persistence.          (e) [(c)]  The coordinating board [by rule] may adopt rules   for the administration of [provide for the training required under]   this section [to be offered in an online course].          SECTION 2.  Section 51.305, Education Code, as amended by   this Act, applies beginning with the 2024 fall semester.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2023.