Bill > HB346

This bill requires school districts and charter schools in Missouri to provide instruction in cursive writing to elementary school students, mandating that students learn to create readable cursive documents by the end of fifth grade and pass a teacher-created test demonstrating proficiency in both reading and writing cursive. The bill amends Chapter 170 of the Missouri Revised Statutes by adding a new section (170.025) that outlines these requirements, and it grants the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education the authority to create rules for implementing these cursive writing instruction provisions. The legislation includes standard administrative language about rule-making, specifying that any rules created must comply with existing state administrative procedures, and includes a provision that if any part of the rule-making process is found unconstitutional, the entire grant of rulemaking authority and subsequent rules would be invalidated. The bill aims to ensure that students maintain the skill of cursive writing, which has been declining in importance with the rise of digital communication.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB346&year=2025&code=R