To amend section 3313.603 of the Revised Code to require that every high school include instruction in personal economics in the requirements for graduation.

Section 1. That section 3313.603 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3313.603.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "One unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, "one unit" means a minimum of one hundred fifty hours of course instruction.

(2) "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of course instruction, except that for physical education courses, "one-half unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course instruction.

(B) Beginning September 15, 2001, except as required in division (C) of section 3313.614 of the Revised Code, the requirements for graduation from every high school shall include twenty units earned in grades nine through twelve and shall be distributed as follows:

(1) English language arts, four units;

(2) Health, one-half unit;

(3) Mathematics, three units;

(4) Physical education, one-half unit;

(5) Science, two units until September 15, 2003, and three units thereafter, which at all times shall include both of the following:

(a) Biological sciences, one unit;

(b) Physical sciences, one unit.

(6) Social studies, three units, which shall include both of the following:

(a) American history, one-half unit;

(b) American government, one-half unit.

(7) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, and six units thereafter.

Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, or two half units, chosen from among the areas of business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.

Within the content of the courses included in the twenty units of instruction required under division (B) of this section, every high school student shall be required to complete not less than ten cumulative hours of instruction in the area of personal economics, including, but not limited to, instruction in financial planning, financial decision-making, and consumer credit. In developing that content, a school district board of education or the curriculum planner for any nonpublic school may use any part of the packet of high school instructional materials on personal financial responsibility developed by the department of education under section 3301.0726 of the Revised Code.

(C) Every high school may permit students below the ninth grade to take advanced work for credit. A high school shall count such advanced work toward the graduation requirements of division (B) of this section if the advanced work was both:

(1) Taught by a person who possesses a license or certificate issued under section 3301.071, 3319.22, or 3319.222 of the Revised Code that is valid for teaching high school;

(2) Designated by the board of education of the city, local, or exempted village school district, the board of the cooperative education school district, or the governing authority of the chartered nonpublic school as meeting the high school curriculum requirements.

(D) Units earned in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies that are delivered through integrated academic and technical instruction are eligible to meet the graduation requirements of division (B) of this section.

Section 2. That existing section 3313.603 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section 3.  Section 3313.603 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. H.B. 94 and Am. Sub. S.B. 1 of the 124th General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.