OLYMPIA, Wash. — A new initiative by Rep. April Connors (R-Kennewick) seeks to tackle a decline in cursive handwriting education in public schools.
According to House Bill 2262, many students complete their education without learning to sign their names clearly, a skill vital for civic and financial responsibilities.
The bill also highlights that despite the rise of electronic signatures, many documents still require a traditional ink signature.
If the bill passes, Washington schools will integrate instruction on cursive signature development within their civics education curriculum. The curriculum will teach students how signatures are used in election and legal processes.
In addition, the Secretary of State would conduct a survey every odd-numbered year to analyze ballot rejection rates due to signature mismatches. The findings would be shared with schools to improve civic education.
