COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:0172H.01I Bill No.:HB 375 Subject:Education, Elementary and Secondary; Teachers; Children and Minors Type:Original Date:January 14, 2025Bill Summary:This proposal requires school districts to provide instruction in cursive
writing.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds $0$0$0
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 0172H.01I
Bill No. HB 375
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January 14, 2025
SK:LR:OD
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on All Federal
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE 000
☐ Estimated Net Effect (expenditures or reduced revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any
of the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
☐ Estimated Net Effect (savings or increased revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any of
the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028
Local Government
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454) L.R. No. 0172H.01I
Bill No. HB 375
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January 14, 2025
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education assume the proposal
will have no fiscal impact on their organization. Oversight does not have any information to the
contrary. Therefore, Oversight will reflect a zero impact in the fiscal note to this agency.
In response to a similar proposal, HB 108 (2021), officials from the Bowling Green R-1 School
District stated this proposal is redundant. This is already a communications arts standard in
Missouri that requires students in 2nd and 3rd grade to write legibly (print, cursive).
In response to a similar proposal, HB 108 (2021), officials from the Fordland R-III School
District, High Point R-III School District and the Shell Knob 78 School District each
assumed the proposal would have no fiscal impact on their respective organizations.
In response to a similar proposal, HB 54 (2019), the Springfield Public Schools stated it would
cost $85,000 in materials, assessments and teacher time.
Oversight notes the English Language Arts Missouri Learning Standards
standard for Grade 2 and Grade 3 to “write legibly (print, cursive)”.
Based on the cost estimate provided by the Springfield Public Schools and the district’s 4
th
and
5
th
grade enrollment numbers, Oversight estimates a per student cost of approximately $21
($85,000/4,087).
The statewide total enrollment as of January 2025 for Grade 4 and Grade 5 is 129,974. Assuming
a per student cost of $21, Oversight estimates the cost to implement this proposal at $2,729,454.
However, Oversight notes some districts indicated there would be no fiscal impact from this
proposal; therefore, Oversight will show a cost of less than $2,729,454.
Oversight received no responses from school districts related to the fiscal impact of this
proposal. Oversight has presented this fiscal note on the best current information available. Upon
the receipt of responses, Oversight will review to determine if an updated fiscal note should be
prepared and seek the necessary approval to publish a new fiscal note. Oversight only reflects the
responses received from state agencies and political subdivisions; however, other school districts
were requested to respond to this proposed legislation but did not. A listing of political
subdivisions included in the MOLIS database is available upon request. L.R. No. 0172H.01I
Bill No. HB 375
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January 14, 2025
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Rule Promulgation
Officials from the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules assume this proposal is not
anticipated to cause a fiscal impact beyond its current appropriation.
Officials from the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) notes many bills considered by the
General Assembly include provisions allowing or requiring agencies to submit rules and
regulations to implement the act. The SOS is provided with core funding to handle a certain
amount of normal activity resulting from each year's legislative session. The fiscal impact for
this fiscal note to the SOS for Administrative Rules is less than $5,000. The SOS recognizes that
this is a small amount and does not expect that additional funding would be required to meet
these costs. However, the SOS also recognizes that many such bills may be passed by the
General Assembly in a given year and that collectively the costs may be in excess of what the
office can sustain with the core budget. Therefore, SOS reserves the right to request funding for
the cost of supporting administrative rules requirements should the need arise based on a review
of the finally approved bills signed by the governor.
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2026
(10 Mo.)
FY 2027FY 2028$0$0$0FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2026
(10 Mo.)
FY 2027FY 2028SCHOOL DISTRICTSCosts - materials, assessments and
teacher time to implement cursive
writing
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454)
(Less than
$2,729,454)
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal. L.R. No. 0172H.01I
Bill No. HB 375
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January 14, 2025
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FISCAL DESCRIPTION
This bill requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction in cursive writing by
the end of the fifth grade, including a proficiency test of competency in reading and writing
cursive.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not
require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of the Secretary of State
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
Bowling Green R-1 School District
Fordland R-III School District
High Point R-III School District
Shell Knob 78 School District
Springfield Public Schools
Julie MorffJessica HarrisDirectorAssistant DirectorJanuary 14, 2025January 14, 2025