TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In Tallahassee, lawmakers passed several bills on Thursday.

The so-called “election integrity” bill passed the full Senate.

In a 27-12 party-line vote, lawmakers passed H-B 991, which requires election officials to verify citizenship, sometimes requiring documents like passports or birth certificates.

Republicans say the changes will strengthen trust in elections, while Democrats warn they could disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters. The bill was sent back to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers were debating amendments Thursday evening.

Meanwhile the full House passed a major school safety bill. With a vote of 88-20, lawmakers passed HB 757, that would effectively end gun-free zones at public colleges and universities and expand the school guardian program to allow faculty and staff to act as armed guards on campuses.

The bill next heads to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The full Senate also passed a bill that would require students in the second to fifth grades learn cursive writing. Lawmakers unanimously approved Senate Bill 182. Proponents of the bill say that students who write in cursive learn better.

The bill also calls for portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be displayed in all public school K-5 classrooms.

Florida lawmakers pass required cursive, presidential portraits in schools, plus election bill

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