Senate Bill 229, presented May 21, would change requirements for earning the state’s financial literacy seal on a high school diploma and provide limited state funding for standards review work, the Nevada Department of Education told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Sponsor testimony summarized new seal criteria: a minimum 3.0 GPA, at least three credits of financial‑literacy‑related coursework, an 85 percent passing score on a financial literacy assessment, and a capstone project. The bill also would expand financial literacy instruction to earlier grades.

Christine Hall, who has worked on the state seal program, told the committee the updates aim to broaden participation and encourage cross‑curricular application of financial skills. NDE witness Amelia Thibault said NDE trimmed its fiscal note by shifting overtime into comp time and removing temporary contract requests, but retained $30,000 to pay stipends for subject matter experts during a standards re‑write and a small $6,403 travel line.

"We will be absorbing that into comp time," Thibault said of overtime; she added that the $30,000 stipend is needed to convene teacher experts for an estimated 80 hours of review work.

Members asked whether the assessment would be mandatory and who would pay for it; Hall said the assessment is optional for students seeking the seal, administered via Canvas and free to teachers and students through NDE. Thibault confirmed NDE expects the standards committee work to occur only in FY‑26 and not in FY‑27; the department’s remaining one‑time fiscal note was $36,403 for FY‑26.

Supporters including labor unions, chambers and the Vegas Chamber told the committee they back stronger financial literacy requirements. No callers registered opposition.

Why it matters: The changes raise the bar (GPA, credits, assessment) for the seal and allocate a modest, one‑time state payment for standards review and expert stipends; supporters say stronger financial literacy reduces long‑term household and public costs.

Discussion vs. decision: The hearing was informational and fiscal; no committee vote was recorded.

Ending: NDE said it would convene standards experts for a one‑time rewrite and implementation while absorbing some administrative costs into existing staff comp time.