Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Nov. 25, 2019 NJ S 2055 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Incarcerated Persons Bill Passed - House (41 - 27)
Oct. 30, 2019 NC HB 231 Authorizes Pay Raises for UNC Systems and Community College Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 49)
Oct. 30, 2019 IL HB 3904 Authorizes Student Athletes to Receive Compensation for Use of Their Name, Image, or Likeness Bill Passed - House (86 - 25)
Oct. 29, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
Oct. 24, 2019 NC HB 231 Authorizes Pay Raises for UNC Systems and Community College Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
Sept. 24, 2019 MI HB 4236 Establishes a Higher Education Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51)
Sept. 10, 2019 CA AB 963 Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
Sept. 3, 2019 CA AB 624 Requires Listing a Sexual Assault Hotline and Reproductive Health Care Telephone Numbers on Student Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
July 24, 2019 KY HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
July 22, 2019 KY HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
June 17, 2019 NC HB 389 Authorizes Alcohol Sales at Public College Sporting Events Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
June 13, 2019 ME LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Bill Passed - House (95 - 46)
June 12, 2019 ME LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
June 4, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
June 4, 2019 OR SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
June 3, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
May 28, 2019 OR SB 3 Authorizes Community Colleges to Offer Applied Baccalaureate Degree Programs Bill Passed - House (45 - 10)
May 28, 2019 CA AB 376 Establishes a Student Loan Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 15)
May 22, 2019 CA SB 206 Authorizes Compensation for College Athletes Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5)
May 21, 2019 IL HB 253 Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
May 20, 2019 MN SF 2415 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Conference Report Adopted - House (84 - 49)
May 8, 2019 NH SB 12 Establishes Student Debt Relief Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (201 - 134)
May 8, 2019 IL HB 2691 Authorizes Tuition Assistance to Transgender and Undocumented Immigrant Students Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
April 29, 2019 CO SB 19-007 Establishes Standards for Sexual Misconduct Policies at Higher Education Institutions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
April 28, 2019 WA HB 2158 Establishes a Business Tax to Finance a Higher Education Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/25 S 2055 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Incarcerated Persons Bill Passed - House (41 - 27)
10/30 HB 231 Authorizes Pay Raises for UNC Systems and Community College Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 49)
10/30 HB 3904 Authorizes Student Athletes to Receive Compensation for Use of Their Name, Image, or Likeness Bill Passed - House (86 - 25)
10/29 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
10/24 HB 231 Authorizes Pay Raises for UNC Systems and Community College Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
9/24 HB 4236 Establishes a Higher Education Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51)
9/10 AB 963 Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
9/03 AB 624 Requires Listing a Sexual Assault Hotline and Reproductive Health Care Telephone Numbers on Student Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
7/24 HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
7/22 HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
6/17 HB 389 Authorizes Alcohol Sales at Public College Sporting Events Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
6/13 LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Bill Passed - House (95 - 46)
6/12 LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
6/04 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
6/04 SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
6/03 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
5/28 SB 3 Authorizes Community Colleges to Offer Applied Baccalaureate Degree Programs Bill Passed - House (45 - 10)
5/28 AB 376 Establishes a Student Loan Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 15)
5/22 SB 206 Authorizes Compensation for College Athletes Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5)
5/21 HB 253 Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
5/20 SF 2415 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Conference Report Adopted - House (84 - 49)
5/08 SB 12 Establishes Student Debt Relief Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (201 - 134)
5/08 HB 2691 Authorizes Tuition Assistance to Transgender and Undocumented Immigrant Students Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
4/29 SB 19-007 Establishes Standards for Sexual Misconduct Policies at Higher Education Institutions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
4/28 HB 2158 Establishes a Business Tax to Finance a Higher Education Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 46)

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