{"id":133220,"date":"2026-01-27T06:50:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T06:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/133220\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T06:50:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T06:50:30","slug":"proposal-to-require-florida-students-pass-cursive-test-swoops-to-house-floor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/133220\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposal to require Florida students pass cursive test swoops to House floor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ACredit: cheeseslave\/Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

A proposal requiring testing for Florida students\u2019 cursive writing ability passed its second House committee Thursday, the last stop before it goes before the full House.<\/p>\n

HB 127<\/a>\u00a0would put in state law a requirement to test elementary students on their ability to write and read cursive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a digital age right now, and we\u2019ve really lost sight of our foundational skills that connect us to our history and sharpen our minds. If our students can\u2019t read cursive, they can\u2019t read the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, or even a grandparent\u2019s handwritten letter,\u201d bill co-sponsor Rep. Dana Trabulsy told the House Education & Employment Committee. \u201cCursive writing isn\u2019t just a skill, it\u2019s a link to our heritage and a tool for lifelong learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Existing state law does not require cursive writing, but State Board of Education curricula do. The board, however, does not require students to prove proficiency.<\/p>\n

The state requires public schools to teach students how to write upper- and lower-case letters in third grade, consistently readable cursive in fourth grade, and, in fifth grade, to write as fast in cursive as they would writing print.<\/p>\n

The bill would require that, by the end of fifth grade, \u201ceach student must demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing through an evaluation of written work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proficiency is defined as writing upper- and lower-case letters, legibly writing words with proper spacing, and reading and writing essays and assignments in cursive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think as we get into the AI era where we\u2019re going to see a return to hand-testing, it\u2019s super important, and I hope our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol will make this happen,\u201d Rep. Judson Sapp, a Republicans from Green Cove Springs, said.<\/p>\n

The identical Senate bill,\u00a0SB 444<\/a>\u00a0by Republican Sen. Erin Grall from Vero Beach, has three committees to pass before the whole Senate would vote on it. It has not been scheduled for any meetings yet.<\/p>\n

Opponents of the bill last year questioned the need for more tests for students to have to take.<\/p>\n

The bill has been attempted several times in previous years. Trabulsy said she tried to kill the bill in a previous legislative session, \u201cbecause who writes cursive anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n

However, her bank teller told her that several bank customers simply sign an \u201cX\u201d instead of writing their unique signature. That story changed her mind, she said.<\/p>\n

The bill passed the committee unanimously.<\/p>\n

Florida Phoenix<\/a> is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Jan. 22 \u2013 28, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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