Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 10 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 645 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in terms and courses of study, further providing for subjects of instruction and flag code and providing for handwriting instruction required; and, in charter schools, further providing for provisions applicable to charter schools and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations.

Last action — Referred to Education

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 21, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    1 primary, 10 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (10 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

5 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill requires cursive handwriting instruction in elementary schools and revises the definition of cursive handwriting in Pennsylvania law.

  • Section 102

    "Cursive handwriting." A style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined or flowing manner often with the strokes of successive characters joined and the angles rounded.

    This adds a formal definition of cursive handwriting to the law.

  • Section 1511

    which shall include cursive handwriting, → which shall include cursive handwriting,

    This ensures that cursive handwriting is specifically mentioned as part of the writing instruction in schools.

  • Section 1529

    Each student shall receive cursive handwriting instruction to ensure that students have the ability to read and write cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade.

    This mandates that all students receive cursive handwriting instruction by the end of fifth grade.

  • Section 1732-A(a)

    1529,

    This includes the new cursive handwriting instruction requirement among the provisions applicable to charter schools.

  • Section 1749-A(a)(1)

    (liii.1) Section 1529.

    This specifies that cyber charter schools are also subject to the cursive handwriting instruction requirement.

Action History

  1. Referred to Education

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 10 co-sponsors · 242 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (10)

Not signed on (242)

242 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 645?
SB 645 is sponsored by Wayne Langerholc (Republican), Lynda Schlegel Culver (Republican), Greg Rothman (Republican), Judy Ward (Republican), Daniel Laughlin (Republican), Rosemary M. Brown (Republican), Doug Mastriano (Republican), Tracy Pennycuick (Republican), Elder A. Vogel (Republican), Patrick J. Stefano (Republican), and Lisa M. Boscola (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 645?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 21, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 645?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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