Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HJ36: Resolution in support of instruction in reading and writing in cursive
Status: Failed, May 22, 2025
What the bill says
A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana encouraging montana's school districts to provide students with instruction on how to read and write in cursive.
From the engrossed text:
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA ENCOURAGING MONTANA'S SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO READ AND WRITE IN CURSIVE. WHEREAS, cursive is a type of handwriting in which all of the letters in a word are connected; and WHEREAS, the ever-increasing reliance on computers and related technology in today's society has provided students with keyboarding skills, but students lack the ability to read or write in cursive; and WHEREAS, scientists are discovering that learning cursive has important benefits for students' cognitive development, and that multiple parts of the brain are activated when learning to write cursive, as compared to typing or simply viewing letters; and WHEREAS, documents that are fundamental to our country's history and laws, including the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, were drafted in cursive; and WHEREAS, students should be able to read our most valued historical documents in their original form, be able to read cursive or sign their names in cursive when required, and be enriched by the cognitive, motor skill, and other benefits that result from learning to write in cursive. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: That Montana school districts be strongly encouraged to introduce …
Sponsors
- Wirth, Zack (R, 17) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (S) Died in Committee
- : (S) Tabled in Committee
- : (S) Hearing Canceled
- : (S) Hearing
- : (S) Hearing
- : (S) Referred to Committee
- : (S) 1st Reading
- : (H) Transmitted to Senate
- : (H) 3rd Reading
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
Votes
- Do Pass (April 5, 2025): 77 yea, 21 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 3, 2025): 80 yea, 19 nay, passed
Subjects: General Joint Resolution, Legislature, Education - K-12
Common questions
- What is HJ36?
- HJ36 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Resolution in support of instruction in reading and writing in cursive.
- What does HJ36 do?
- In its own words: A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana encouraging montana's school districts to provide students with instruction on how to read and write in cursive.
- What is the status of HJ36?
- Failed as of May 22, 2025. Latest action: (S) Died in Committee (May 22, 2025).
- Who sponsored HJ36?
- Wirth, Zack (R, 17).
- Where is the official record for HJ36?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3379
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.