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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 20, 2016 | NE | LB 18 | Requires a Meningitis Immunization Before Entering Seventh Grade | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (29 - 14) |
Jan. 27, 2016 | RI | H 7051 | Requires City Council Approval to Establish or Expand a Charter School | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
Jan. 20, 2016 | WA | SB 6194 | Authorizes Commission Oversight for Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
Jan. 25, 2016 | WA | HB 2366 | Amends Education Funding System | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
Jan. 27, 2016 | SD | HB 1008 | Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex | Bill Passed - House (58 - 10) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | SD | HB 1112 | Repeals Transgender Policies Adopted by High School Sports Associations | Bill Passed - House (45 - 23) |
Feb. 10, 2016 | WA | SB 6443 | Repeals Rule Authorizing Use of Bathrooms Consistent with Gender Identity | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25) |
Feb. 15, 2016 | VA | SJ 6 | Authorizes the Board of Education to Establish Charter Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 21) |
March 7, 2016 | VA | HB 389 | Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
Feb. 16, 2016 | VA | HB 389 | Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
Feb. 16, 2016 | SD | HB 1008 | Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
Feb. 18, 2016 | WA | SB 6195 | Amends Education Funding System | Bill Passed - House (66 - 31) |
Feb. 16, 2016 | WA | SB 6195 | Amends Education Funding System | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
Feb. 17, 2016 | KY | SB 1 | Amends Public Education Standard Review Processes | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
Feb. 18, 2016 | FL | HB 7043 | Establishes Funding Programs Related to Education | Bill Passed - House (81 - 31) |
Feb. 18, 2016 | FL | HB 7029 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Bill Passed - House (79 - 35) |
Feb. 3, 2016 | IN | HB 1004 | Authorizes Higher Wages for Hard-to-Fill Teaching Positions | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
Feb. 16, 2016 | WI | AB 873 | Requires Open Meetings and Public Records for Interscholastic Athletics Associations | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
Feb. 29, 2016 | AK | SB 89 | Prohibits Schools from Contracting with Abortion Services Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7) |
March 3, 2016 | SD | HB 1008 | Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 29) |
Feb. 22, 2016 | ID | S 1248 | Repeals the Requirement that Charter Schools Use State Contracts | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
Feb. 26, 2016 | WV | HB 4014 | Prohibits State Board of Education From Implementing Common Core | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
March 1, 2016 | AZ | HB 2151 | Authorizes Teachers to Receive Tax Credits for Purchased School Supplies | Bill Passed - House (34 - 24) |
March 3, 2016 | IN | SB 334 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
March 10, 2016 | IN | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17) |
March 9, 2016 | IN | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 43) |
Feb. 23, 2016 | IN | HB 1395 | Repeals ISTEP Test | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
March 16, 2016 | KY | SB 253 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
March 1, 2016 | OK | HB 2797 | Requires Public High Schools to Teach Students about Fetal Development During Pregnancy | Bill Passed - House (64 - 12) |
March 16, 2016 | MD | SB 706 | Establishes Education Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
March 10, 2016 | WA | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
March 9, 2016 | WA | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
March 21, 2016 | ID | S 1342 | Authorizes Bibles in Schools as Educational References | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
March 22, 2016 | AL | SB 205 | Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
March 22, 2016 | MI | SB 710 | Amends the Detroit Public School System | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
April 7, 2016 | MD | HB 172 | Amends School Board Nominating Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
March 1, 2016 | VA | HB 516 | Requires Parental Review of Explicit School Books | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
Feb. 29, 2016 | AZ | HB 2338 | Authorizes Concealed Carry near Schools | Bill Passed - House (35 - 24) |
March 23, 2016 | KS | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
March 3, 2016 | MS | HB 989 | Establishes the Mississippi Achievement School District | Bill Passed - House (82 - 38) |
March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 36) |
March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17) |
Feb. 15, 2016 | VA | HB 1234 | Authorizes School Security Officers to Carry Firearms | Bill Passed - House (66 - 33) |
April 7, 2016 | MA | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
April 13, 2016 | OH | HB 425 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
May 5, 2016 | AK | HB 156 | Amends Certain Public Education Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - House (21 - 18) |
May 4, 2016 | AK | HB 156 | Amends Certain Public Education Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 4) |
April 17, 2016 | AK | HB 156 | Amends Certain Public Education Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | VA | HB 518 | Authorizes Students to Transfer from Certain Schools | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
April 25, 2016 | LA | HB 863 | Prohibits Schools from Holding Membership in Certain Associations or Organizations | Bill Failed - House (33 - 51) |
April 25, 2016 | MN | HF 2749 | Appropriates Funds for Education | Bill Passed - House (84 - 46) |
June 9, 2016 | MI | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 54) |
June 8, 2016 | MI | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18) |
March 9, 2016 | FL | HB 7029 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 174 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 175 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
May 10, 2016 | IL | SB 231 | Appropriates Funds for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21) |