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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 18, 2020 | PA | SB 1216 | Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
May 13, 2020 | OK | HB 2741 | Reduces Contributions to Teachers' Retirement System | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 12) |
June 11, 2020 | OH | HB 164 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 3) |
March 11, 2020 | IN | HB 1065 | Authorizes School Districts To Use Tax Dollars For Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 18) |
Sept. 23, 2020 | MI | SB 927 | Authorizes an Increase in Funding for Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (103 - 2) |
June 10, 2020 | OH | HB 164 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 0) |
March 4, 2020 | WA | SB 5395 | Establishes K-12 Sexual Health Education Programs in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (56 - 40) |
Sept. 23, 2020 | MI | SB 927 | Authorizes an Increase in Funding for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 1) |
March 11, 2020 | IN | HB 1065 | Authorizes School Districts To Use Tax Dollars For Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 40) |
May 8, 2020 | MO | HB 2002 | Appropriates Education Funding for Fiscal Year 2021 | Conference Report Adopted - House (120 - 28) |
March 10, 2020 | FL | SB 70 | Establishes Alert Systems in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
March 12, 2020 | UT | HB 222 | Expands School Breakfast Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 17) |
Aug. 31, 2020 | CA | AB 331 | Establishes One Credit of Ethnic and Racial Studies as a High School Graduation Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 12) |
Aug. 17, 2020 | MI | HB 5913 | Requires School Districts to Administer Math and Reading Exams During E-Learning | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 33) |
June 30, 2020 | NH | HB 1558 | Amends School Disciplinary Policies to Address Behavioral Needs | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (201 - 129) |
June 29, 2020 | NJ | S 2273 | Amends Teacher Health Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
June 29, 2020 | CA | SB 98 | Establishes Distance Education Guidance and Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
March 17, 2020 | KS | SB 142 | Authorizes Waiver for School Hour Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
March 9, 2020 | WY | HB 119 | Establishes Medicaid Billing Process for School-Based Services | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 14) |
March 16, 2020 | CA | SB 117 | Appropriates Funds to Public Schools Amid COVID-19 Emergency Shut-Down | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 0) |
March 10, 2020 | UT | HB 99 | Expands Enhanced Kindergarten Early Intervention Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 23) |
March 25, 2020 | PA | SB 751 | Authorizes Financial Assistance for Schools Amid COVID-19-Related Shutdown | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (50 - 0) |
March 25, 2020 | OH | HB 197 | Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 0) |
June 13, 2020 | IA | SF 2310 | Establishes Educational Instructional Requirements for Online Learning | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
March 11, 2020 | NY | S 5073 | Establishes a School Voter Registration Access Program | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 18) |
June 16, 2020 | NH | HB 1454 | Authorizes Credit for Alternative Learning and Work Programs | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 9) |
June 26, 2020 | NC | SB 681 | Requires Credit in the Arts in Order to Graduate | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 21) |
Dec. 18, 2020 | MI | HB 4223 | Requires Dental Screenings for Children Attending Public School | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
Jan. 16, 2020 | MA | H 4218 | Requires School Districts Offer Breakfast After Instruction Begins | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 0) |
Feb. 12, 2020 | OK | HB 2336 | Authorizes Handguns on the Premises of Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 7) |
March 9, 2020 | WY | HB 174 | Amends Kindergarten Minimum Age Start Date | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
March 11, 2020 | FL | HB 1213 | Requires Adding Ocoee Riots to School Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
March 16, 2020 | ID | H 500 | Prohibits Transgender Female Students from Sports designated for Females | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
March 18, 2020 | AK | SB 74 | Increases Minimum Internet Speed for K-12 Schools | Bill Passed - House (32 - 3) |
March 25, 2020 | OH | HB 197 | Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
June 26, 2020 | CA | SB 98 | Establishes Distance Education Guidance and Standards | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
Aug. 15, 2020 | MI | HB 5913 | Requires School Districts to Administer Math and Reading Exams During E-Learning | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
Aug. 24, 2020 | CA | AB 901 | Limits a School District's Ability to Refer Students to Probation Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
Sept. 2, 2020 | NC | HB 1105 | Appropriates COVID Relief Checks to Parents | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
Dec. 17, 2020 | NJ | A 4454 | Requires School Districts to Include Instruction on Diversity and Inclusion as Part of New Education Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
June 17, 2020 | NC | SB 818 | Authorizes Bonuses for Public School Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Bill Passed - House (84 - 35) |
Jan. 28, 2020 | GA | HB 444 | Limits State Funding for Dual Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
Aug. 27, 2020 | NJ | A 4006 | Authorizes a Postponement of NJQSAC for Certain School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
Aug. 10, 2020 | MS | HB 1806 | Increases Funding to the Department of Education | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
March 24, 2020 | AK | HB 106 | Extends School Bond Debt Reimbursement Moratorium for 5 years | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |
Sept. 9, 2020 | PA | HB 2787 | Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
Sept. 9, 2020 | MI | SB 171 | Repeals the 2024 Expiration Date on the Career-Tech or Arts Class for Foreign Language Credit Exchange Program | Bill Passed - House (67 - 38) |
March 3, 2020 | VA | HB 837 | Establishes the "Dress Code Equity Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
Feb. 20, 2020 | NH | HB 1454 | Authorizes Credit for Alternative Learning and Work Programs | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (202 - 142) |
March 12, 2020 | NH | HB 1285 | Prohibits Firearms on School Property | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (182 - 141) |