Senator Bill Wilkowsky, identifying himself as the sponsor and State Senator for East Anchorage, told the Senate Finance Committee in April that Senate Bill 22 would require instruction in personal finance in high school. The sponsor described the requirement as a "half credit requirement" that could be incorporated into other classes such as math or economics rather than requiring a standalone course.

Invited witnesses and stakeholders told the committee they supported the bill. Ross Goble, a board member of Junior Achievement of Alaska and speaking as a parent and business leader, said a recent Department of Education survey found that "65 percent of high school graduates in our state feel unprepared to manage their personal finances." He urged the committee to adopt the bill to equip students with budgeting and money‑management skills.

Tim Sullivan, executive director of the Financial Reality Foundation, said the foundation runs realism fairs that reach about 2,000 students a year through roughly 50 fairs but that "this 1 hour class is not nearly enough" to teach what students need. Lauren McVay, CEO of True North Federal Credit Union and vice chair of the Alaska Credit Union League, told the committee "High school is the right time" to deliver basic financial skills and that students are more likely to learn if the instruction reaches them when they are receptive.

Katie Capozzi, president and CEO of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, testified the Chamber supports making personal finance a graduation requirement and noted the bill includes free or low‑cost curricular resources and a delayed effective date to allow districts to prepare.

Senator Kiehl (committee member) reported a fiscal note from DEED (student and school achievement, OMB component 2,796) showing a one‑time FY2026 cost of $76,000 of unrestricted general funds. Sponsor Wilkowsky said he expected the fiscal note could be tightened because many resources are already available and might reduce implementation cost.

The committee took invited and public testimony and then set SB22 aside for further work; no final committee vote was taken.

Why it matters: Supporters cited low financial literacy indicators for Alaska students and adults, saying the requirement would provide uniform exposure to budgeting, loans, savings and other practical money skills at a time students are deciding on post‑secondary options and personal financial commitments.

Next steps: Committee staff will review fiscal assumptions and implementation details before the bill returns to committee for further action.