Senate committee moves to print bill requiring cursive proficiency for Idaho students

Senator Tammy Nichols introduced RS 32031 in the Senate Education Committee, a proposal to add a proficiency requirement to Idaho's existing cursive instruction standard.

"Cursive is already required, as I said, in our state standards to be taught, but there's no consistency or accountability in ensuring proficiency," Nichols said. The bill would require cursive instruction beginning in third grade with students demonstrating proficiency by the end of fifth grade; the State Department of Education would provide resources, guidelines and assessments to implement the measure, Nichols said.

Nichols told the committee that proponents view cursive proficiency as a set of cognitive and practical benefits: she cited handwriting's role in fine motor skills and memory, said signatures remain a personal security feature and noted the National Archives' difficulty locating enough people who can read historic cursive documents.

Committee action: Senator Zito moved to send RS 32031 "to print" so it may proceed to a committee hearing; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript; the motion carried.

The committee did not take final action on the proposal; sending a bill "to print" advances it to a bill hearing where witnesses and staff analysis can be presented.