Florida lawmakers want to make cursive great again

Is Florida trying to make cursive great again?

That’s how one lawmaker phrased it as a House subcommittee unanimously approved a bill (HB 127) to require students starting in second grade to learn cursive. Students would then be tested in fifth grade to prove they can legibly write upper case and lower case letters in cursive.

The House Student Academic Success Subcommittee voted 14-0 to advance the measure.

“By the end of grade 5, each student must demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing through an evaluation of written work,” the bill says.

If the Legislature passes the measure, the new education requirements would go into effect in July 2026, before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Lawmakers pushed for a similar bill last Session, which ultimately failed.  Republican Rep. Toby Overdorf, who co-sponsored last Session’s bill, was back Tuesday to advocate again for cursive.

“If our students can’t read cursive, they can’t read the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution or even a grandparent’s handwritten letter,” said Overdorf, a Palm City Republican.

Overdorf acknowledged that students are already learning cursive under requirements that went into place in recent years.

“But there’s no requirement for proficiency. I can learn about it. The teacher can literally draw cursive on the board. However, I’m not practicing that cursive as a student. I don’t have that proficiency as a student,” he said, explaining the purpose of his bill. “There’s a written requirement at fifth grade that you have to do essays anyway, so why not make at least one of those essays in cursive writing?”

Republican Rep. Yvette Benarroch said she was in favor of the legislation.

“I am a fan of cursive. So my question to you is, does this bill make cursive great?” Benarroch joked.

Lawmakers shared the horror stories of adults they knew who couldn’t write cursive. It’s hard to sign a mortgage when you don’t know how to write your name in cursive, they argued. 

Others pointed out that learning cursive can strengthen fine motor skills or increase literacy.

“We will show that HB 127 will be reported favorably and we will add a note in cursive to that effect,” quipped Chair Alex Rizo after the vote.