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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 3

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)

English language Environmental protection School — Curriculum State superintendent of public instruction

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to incorporate cursive writing into the model academic standards for English language arts. The bill also requires all school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice program to include cursive writing in its respective curriculum for the elementary grades. Specifically, each elementary school curriculum must include the objective that pupils be able to write legibly in cursive by the end of fifth grade.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Tusler (R) , Vos (R) , Wichgers (R)

4 cosponsors

Cabral-Guevara (R) , Nass (R) , O'Connor (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 14

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 5

Passed 8–5 Feb 17, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 51–46 Feb 19, 2025 official source full page

Aye · 51

Nay · 46

Not voting · 2

Full history

  1. Feb 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Melotik, Behnke, Brill, Dittrich, Donovan, Goodwin, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, Mursau, Tusler, Vos, Wichgers and Piwowarczyk; cosponsored by Senators Nass, Cabral-Guevara and Wanggaard

  2. Feb 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Feb 6, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Feb 6, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative O'Connor added as a coauthor

  7. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 5

  8. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to calendar of 2-19-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)

  9. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  11. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 51, Noes 46

  12. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Goodwin withdrawn as a coauthor

  14. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Feb 20, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  16. Feb 21, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  17. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1