Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 18, 2017 | PA | HB 178 | Amends Public School Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (105 - 81) |
Sept. 19, 2017 | RI | S 608 | Requires Notification of Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops | Bill Passed - House (61 - 0) |
Aug. 28, 2017 | IL | SB 1947 | Establishes School Funding Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 34) |
June 22, 2017 | OH | HB 170 | Authorizes Students to Take Computer Science in Lieu of Algebra II | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
June 22, 2017 | OH | HB 170 | Authorizes Students to Take Computer Science in Lieu of Algebra II | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
June 21, 2017 | WI | AB 299 | Authorizes Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
June 20, 2017 | MI | SB 401 | Amends Teacher Retirement Plans | Bill Passed - House (55 - 51) |
June 15, 2017 | MI | HB 4647 | Establishes Teacher Pension Plan | Bill Passed - House (55 - 52) |
June 1, 2017 | NH | SB 8 | Authorizes Overpopulated Public Schools to Transfer Students Elsewhere | Bill Passed - House (210 - 147) |
May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 1 | Specifies School Funding Reallocation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 1351 | Establishes Laws Governing Student Loan Servicers | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
May 17, 2017 | RI | H 5457A | Requires Parents to Take Course in Driver's Education | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
May 9, 2017 | CO | HB 1375 | Requires School Districts to Develop a Plan to Equitably Distribute Funds | Bill Passed - House (65 - 0) |
May 8, 2017 | AZ | SB 1384 | Prohibits Censorship of Student Media | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
May 4, 2017 | TX | HB 22 | Amends Education Accountability Standards | Bill Tabled - House (97 - 46) |
April 27, 2017 | TX | SB 4 | Prohibits Sanctuary Cities | Bill Passed - House (94 - 53) |
April 26, 2017 | IL | HB 2977 | Requires Public Schools to Provide Cursive Writing Courses | Bill Passed - House (67 - 48) |
April 26, 2017 | IL | HB 2977 | Requires Public Schools to Provide Cursive Writing Courses | Bill Passed - House (67 - 48) |
April 25, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Prohibits Failing Students from Continuing Online Charter School | Bill Passed - House (108 - 84) |
April 25, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Prohibits Failing Students from Continuing Online Charter School | Bill Passed - House (108 - 84) |
April 20, 2017 | FL | HB 989 | Authorizes Parents to Object to Instructional Material | Bill Passed - House (94 - 25) |
April 20, 2017 | FL | HB 989 | Authorizes Parents to Object to Instructional Material | Bill Passed - House (94 - 25) |
April 13, 2017 | FL | HB 5105 | Implements School Improvement and Education Accountability | Bill Passed - House (77 - 40) |
April 13, 2017 | FL | HB 7069 | Establishes New Eligibility Criteria for Teacher Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (79 - 38) |
April 13, 2017 | TN | HB 531 | Provides Free Commmunity College Education to Adults | Bill Passed - House (87 - 6) |
April 9, 2017 | WV | HB 2018 | Reduces State Spending | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 37) |
April 6, 2017 | MD | HB 978 | Requires Improvement and Accountability Programs for Public Schools | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
April 6, 2017 | MO | HB 2 | Appropriates Education Funds | Bill Passed - House (119 - 34) |
March 31, 2017 | MN | HF 890 | Authorizes Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (75 - 54) |
March 31, 2017 | MN | HF 890 | Authorizes Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (75 - 54) |
March 30, 2017 | GA | HB 280 | Authorizes Concealed Carry on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (96 - 70) |
March 26, 2017 | NC | HB 174 | Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Certain Church Services | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
March 17, 2017 | NM | HB 241 | Establishes New Standards of Evaluation for Teachers | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 31) |
March 17, 2017 | NM | HB 241 | Establishes New Standards of Evaluation for Teachers | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 31) |
March 17, 2017 | NM | SB 374 | Prohibits Public Shaming of Students Who Can't Pay for Lunch | Bill Passed - House (60 - 0) |
March 17, 2017 | NM | SB 374 | Prohibits Public Shaming of Students Who Can't Pay for Lunch | Bill Passed - House (60 - 0) |
March 15, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43) |
March 15, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43) |
March 15, 2017 | KY | SB 1 | Amends State Educational Standards | Bill Passed - House (94 - 0) |
March 10, 2017 | MD | HB 978 | Requires Improvement and Accountability Programs for Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (91 - 46) |
March 3, 2017 | WY | HB 236 | Reduces the Education Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (9 - 51) |
March 3, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Bill Passed - House (56 - 39) |
March 3, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Bill Passed - House (56 - 39) |
Feb. 22, 2017 | WA | HB 1843 | Amends Public Education Funding Formula | Bill Passed - House (52 - 45) |
Feb. 22, 2017 | GA | HB 37 | Prohibits State Funding for Sanctuary Campuses | Bill Passed - House (112 - 57) |
Feb. 7, 2017 | WY | HB 236 | Reduces the Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (43 - 16) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | IA | SF 166 | Authorizes School Funding Increase of 1.11 Percent | Bill Passed - House (55 - 40) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | IA | SF 166 | Authorizes School Funding Increase of 1.11 Percent | Bill Passed - House (55 - 40) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1329 | Prohibits Safe Spaces at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (65 - 25) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1329 | Prohibits Safe Spaces at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (65 - 25) |
Jan. 31, 2017 | RI | HB 5098 | Exempts University Researchers from Public Records Requests | Bill Passed - House (59 - 8) |
Jan. 24, 2017 | VA | HB 1578 | Authorizes Home-schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |