Rep. Angel Cruz, D-Philadelphia, speaks at a Harrisburg press event to discuss his legislation dealing with the need to enforce trash laws, specifically the disposal of waste tires.

Rep. Angel Cruz has introduced an eclectic series of bills in the state House of Representatives dealing with issues ranging from teaching handwriting in schools to penalties for using a cell phone while putting gas on one’s vehicle.

The bills were introduced in the House on Dec. 22.

States that have signed onto the Common Core State Standards don’t have to teach cursive as part of the standards, though each state can opt into requiring cursive if they choose to do so. Legislation passed in 2014 in Tennessee requires cursive instruction in second through fourth grades while cursive was added back into elementary school curriculum for all schools in Texas starting in 2019-20. Similar legislation has been introduced in several states, including Wisconsin, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, California, Florida, New Jersey, West Virginia and North Carolina.

Cruz cited a 2020 survey by federal agencies that showed 74% percent of American homes had computers, with the fewest in homes with Native, African-American and Hispanic children as proof that many children still need to know how to know handwriting skills. The Philadelphia Democrat proposes requiring state schools to teach handwriting in kindergarten through fifth grade while being required to print legibly by third grade and write in cursive by the end of fifth grade. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee.

“In the digital age of instant communication, certain skills such as handwriting are becoming less necessary than before. Despite the instruction of cursive handwriting slowly disappearing from our classrooms, there is increasing evidence of its benefits that go beyond simply writing,” Cruz wrote in his legislative memorandum. “Not only does cursive writing require fine motor skills associated with cognitive development but engaging in handwriting activities can activate many neural pathways that aren’t formed when tracing or typing letters alone. Additionally, handwriting activities are linked to improved word recognition, hand-eye coordination, and information retention.Handwriting instruction must remain in our school curriculum. The decision to remove cursive handwriting instruction from the Common Core Standards has led many schools facing budget crises and unfunded mandates to opt out of teaching a non-required class.”

Other bills Cruz introduced on Dec. 22 include:

¯ House Bill 2192, which would allow courts to order community service to pay up to 50% of a qualifying person’s traffic fines and court costs. Hawaii and Georgia are among states that currently allow a judge to sentence someone to community service in traffic court cases, with Cruz wanting to add Pennsylvania to the list. The proposal has been referred to the House Transportation Committee.

“Today’s tenuous job market has made paying fines imposed under Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code increasingly difficult for many individuals,” Cruz wrote in his legislative memorandum. “Unpaid traffic citations can lead to late fees, collection agency involvement, license suspensions, and even the issuance of an arrest warrant. Evidence has shown that jailing individuals who fail to post collateral can prevent reentry into the community and participation in local economies. Conversely, alternatives such as community service are geared toward rehabilitation and can have long-term benefits for communities, including workforce contributions.”

¯ House Bill 2191, which would make smoking in a vehicle with children a fineable offense. At least eight states have a prohibition on smoking with children in a car: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. Most of those states make the violation a secondary violation, meaning police can’t pull a driver over for the offense but can cite them if they are pulled over for another reason. Most fines are no more than $100, though Oregon’s fine is $250 for a first offense and $500 for subsesquent violations.

“The concentrations of secondhand smoke in vehicles where smoking is occurring can reach dangerously high levels, making the confined space of a car an extremely hazardous place for passengers,” Cruz wrote in his legislative memorandum. “Any time a person breathes in secondhand smoke, they are exposed to over seven thousand chemicals, many of which are dangerous and known to cause cancer. Unsurprisingly, being exposed to secondhand smoke is especially harmful to children whose lungs are still developing. As little as 10 seconds of exposure to this smoke can stimulate asthmatic symptoms and lead to a host of other health issues – opening the car window is not enough to clear the air of these harmful toxins.”

¯ House Bill 2190, which would make use of a cell phone while pumping gas a summary offense.

“The risk of spilling highly flammable liquid fuel is higher when the person fueling is distracted,” Cruz wrote in his legislative memorandum. “Understandably, using a cell phone while fueling up a car creates a distraction that endangers the fueler and others around them. In an effort to prevent avoidable fires and explosions in these circumstances, I am proposing legislation to make the use of a wireless communication device while dispensing a liquid fuel a summary offense. Fuel dealers must post signs informing customers of this policy on their property. Those who fail to do so will face a civil penalty established by the state Fire Commissioner.”

¯ House Bill 2188 to limit the use of parking lots and gas stations to avoid traffic lights. Similar bills have been passed in Virginia and New Jersey, Cruz said, as a way to limit accidents.

“Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to reckless driving,” Cruz wrote in his legislative memorandum. “For drivers in a hurry, cutting through a parking lot to avoid a red traffic signal can be a tempting shortcut. However, this maneuver often results in drivers moving much faster through the property than those who just pull in to park – posing a serious danger to pedestrians and other drivers. National crash fatality and injury data show that 73% of pedestrian fatalities and 64% of cyclist fatalities occur away from intersections.”