Googling around to try to figure out why our experiences are different, I found that the requirement was only brought back in 2019 for second and third graders. It appears Texas stopped requiring it in the early 2000s, only to bring it back a few years ago.

If your children passed third grade before the 2019-2020 school year, they wouldn't have run into the requirement.

https://www.fox4news.com/news/cursive-handwriting-requiremen...

OK then, so there is still great variation in educational policy between the states. I'm glad handwriting is still being taught somewhere. A map of where it is and isn't would be interesting.