Florida SB 444: Residency of Local Elected Officials

Bill Text

444 
Required Instruction in Cursive Writing 
2025-11-10T06:20:17Z 
Requiring students in specified grades to receive instruction in cursive writing; requiring students to demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing by the end of a specified grade; defining the term “proficiency in cursive writing”, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 444 

 By Senator Grall 

 29-00831-26 2026444__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to required instruction in cursive 
 3 writing; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring students 
 4 in specified grades to receive instruction in cursive 
 5 writing; providing requirements for such instruction; 
 6 requiring students to demonstrate proficiency in 
 7 cursive writing by the end of a specified grade; 
 8 defining the term “proficiency in cursive writing”; 
 9 providing an effective date. 
 10 
 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 12 
 13 Section 1. Paragraph (w) is added to subsection (2) of 
 14 section 1003.42, Florida Statutes, to read: 
 15 1003.42 Required instruction.— 
 16 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 
 17 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 
 18 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 
 19 faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 
 20 highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 
 21 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 
 22 approved methods of instruction, the following: 
 23 (w)1. For students in grades 2 through 5, the study of 
 24 cursive writing and the development of the skills necessary for 
 25 legible cursive writing, including: 
 26 a. Letter formation. 
 27 b. Proper spacing and alignment. 
 28 c. Practice in writing complete words and sentences in 
 29 cursive. 
 30 2. By the end of grade 5, each student must demonstrate 
 31 proficiency in cursive writing through an evaluation of written 
 32 work. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “proficiency 
 33 in cursive writing” means all of the following: 
 34 a. The ability to write uppercase and lowercase letters of 
 35 the alphabet in cursive writing. 
 36 b. Writing words and sentences in cursive legibly and 
 37 maintaining proper spacing and alignment. 
 38 c. The ability to read and apply cursive writing in a 
 39 manner that supports literacy development, including writing 
 40 essays and assignments in cursive writing in accordance with 
 41 state academic standards. 
 42 
 43 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 
 44 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 
 45 Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 
 46 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 
 47 offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 
 48 other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 
 49 initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 
 50 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.