State lawmakers are advancing identical measures in the Florida House and Senate that would require mandatory instruction in cursive writing for public elementary school students beginning in the 2026–27 academic year.
House Bill 127, filed by Reps. Toby Overdorf and Dana Trabulsy, mirrors Senate Bill 444 by Sen. Erin Grall. Both measures seek add cursive handwriting to the list of required instruction for grades two through five.
The legislation would require teachers to provide formal lessons in letter formation, spacing, and alignment, with students practicing complete words and sentences in cursive.
Under the proposal, students would be required to demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade through evaluation of written work, defined as the ability to write upper-and lowercase cursive letters, compose legible words and sentences with proper spacing, and read and apply cursive writing in assignments consistent with state academic standards.
A legislative analysis prepared by House staff notes that while Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) English Language Arts standards already require cursive instruction in grades three through five, the bill would codify cursive writing in state law and require demonstration of proficiency.
If enacted, the policy would take effect July 1, 2026.
