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. 15, 2018 | PA | SB 1095 | Authorizes Alternatives to Graduate for Keystone Test | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Sept. 26, 2018 | PA | SB 1098 | Establishes School Bus Safety Grant Program Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
Sept. 26, 2018 | PA | SB 1098 | Establishes School Bus Safety Grant Program Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
Sept. 25, 2018 | PA | SB 521 | Requires CPR Training in High Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Sept. 25, 2018 | PA | SB 521 | Requires CPR Training in High Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Aug. 27, 2018 | NJ | S 2293 | Authorizes a Ballot Measure to Issue $1 Billion in Funds for School Upgrades | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 0) |
July 17, 2018 | National | PN 1391 | Nomination of James Blew to Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development for the Department of Education | (50 - 49) |
July 12, 2018 | MA | S 2595 | Establishes Commission to Study Lead in Drinking Water at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
July 1, 2018 | NJ | A 3765 | Authorizes School Employees with Safety Experience to be Appointed as a School Safety Specialist | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
June 25, 2018 | NJ | A 542 | Requires Schools Maintain a Supply of Opioid Antidotes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
June 25, 2018 | NJ | A 4110 | Requires Seat Belts on School Buses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
June 25, 2018 | NJ | S 2055 | Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Incarcerated Persons | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
June 22, 2018 | PA | HB 1448 | Requires Lead Testing in School Water Systems | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 4) |
June 22, 2018 | PA | HB 1448 | Requires Lead Testing in School Water Systems | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 4) |
June 21, 2018 | NJ | S 2711 | Requires Child Abuse Training for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
June 21, 2018 | NJ | S 2 | Amends School Funding Formula | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
June 20, 2018 | NY | S 2493 | Prohibits College Funds for Organizations that Promote Boycotts of Allied Nations | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 12) |
June 12, 2018 | MI | HB 5141 | Reduces Teacher Certification Requirements for Certain Vocational or Technical Trade Classes | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
June 12, 2018 | MI | HB 5141 | Reduces Teacher Certification Requirements for Certain Vocational or Technical Trade Classes | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
June 12, 2018 | MI | HB 4069 | Reduces College Credits Required for Substitute Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
June 4, 2018 | NC | HB 514 | Authorizes Municipalities to Form Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
May 17, 2018 | IL | SB 2892 | Requires Increase in Teacher Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 16) |
May 16, 2018 | OH | SB 246 | Limits Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions For Students in Kindergarten to Third Grade | (32 - 0) |
May 16, 2018 | OH | SB 246 | Limits Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions For Students in Kindergarten to Third Grade | (32 - 0) |
May 9, 2018 | CT | HB 5170 | Authorizes Schools to Search Student Cell Phones | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
May 7, 2018 | CO | SB 18-272 | Establishes School Grants for Suicide-Prevention Training | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
May 2, 2018 | IL | SB 3249 | Requires LGBT History in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
May 2, 2018 | RI | S 2350 | Prohibits Advertising Unhealthy Food in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
April 25, 2018 | RI | S 2353 | Requires Educators to Report Sexual Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 0) |
April 19, 2018 | IL | SB 2546 | Authorizes Graduate Research Assistant Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
April 19, 2018 | AZ | HB 2563 | Establishes Free Speech Policy for College Campuses | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 13) |
April 18, 2018 | CT | SB 4 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
April 17, 2018 | CO | SB 18-083 | Establishes Educational Tax Credit System | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
April 14, 2018 | AK | HB 287 | Appropriates Funds for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
April 11, 2018 | OH | SB 82 | Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
April 5, 2018 | KS | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
April 5, 2018 | KS | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
April 4, 2018 | TN | SB 2260 | Reorganizes University of Tennessee Board of Trustees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
April 3, 2018 | IA | HF 2467 | Establishes Guidelines for Handling Students' Lunch Debt | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
March 29, 2018 | DE | SB 85 | Requires Report on School Suspensions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
March 28, 2018 | OK | HB 1010 | Increases Taxes to Provide More Funding for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
March 27, 2018 | MD | HB 420 | Authorizes Certain In-State Students to Receive Financial Aid | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
March 26, 2018 | NJ | S 699 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
March 25, 2018 | MS | HB 1593 | Appropriates Funds for Educational Television | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 16) |
March 22, 2018 | MI | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
March 22, 2018 | MI | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
March 21, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
March 21, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
March 16, 2018 | ID | H 665 | Increases Penalties for Threats Against Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
March 15, 2018 | AR | HB 1008 | Expands Tuition Savings Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5) |
Feb. 27, 2018 | SD | HB 1199 | Prohibits Collective Bargaining at Public Universities | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 18) |
Feb. 26, 2018 | NJ | S 414 | Requires Employment Background Checks for Teachers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
Feb. 9, 2018 | NC | HB 90 | Limits Public School Class Sizes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 5) |
Feb. 9, 2018 | National | HR 1892 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28) |
Feb. 8, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
Feb. 8, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
Feb. 6, 2018 | IN | SB 387 | Authorizes Teachers without Licenses in Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
Feb. 2, 2018 | WV | SB 267 | Increases State Public Worker Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
Feb. 2, 2018 | WV | SB 267 | Increases State Public Worker Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
Jan. 19, 2018 | WA | SB 5766 | Requires School Districts to Adopt Transgender Student Policies and Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |