BOISE, ID – The Idaho Legislature has introduced Senate Bill 1044, which would amend existing law to require that all Idaho public school students demonstrate proficiency in cursive handwriting by the end of grade 5.
The bill, introduced by the Senate Education Committee on January 30, 2025, proposes the addition of a new section to Chapter 16, Title 33, Idaho Code. Under the proposed Section 33-1638, public schools would be required to ensure that students are taught cursive writing with clear benchmarks and assessments. The state board of education would mandate that instruction begin by grade 3, and students not meeting proficiency standards by the end of grade 5 would receive additional instruction until they demonstrate legible cursive handwriting.
According to the legislative record, Senate Bill 1044 was reported printed and referred to the Education Committee on January 31, 2025. On February 13, 2025, the bill was reported out of committee with a “Do Pass” recommendation. The Senate read the bill a second time on February 14, 2025, at which point it was filed for third reading.
The bill declares an emergency, directing that all Idaho public schools comply with the new cursive handwriting requirements by the start of the 2025–2026 school year, with the act taking effect on July 1, 2025.
Further details, including the full text of the bill and its statement of purpose and fiscal note, are available on the Idaho Legislature’s website.