Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


Page 1 of 3
results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 2, 2021 NY A 2574 Establishes the State University of New York as an Automatic Voter Registration Location Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 20)
Jan. 26, 2021 NY A 2574 Establishes the State University of New York as an Automatic Voter Registration Location Bill Passed - House (99 - 51)
May 3, 2021 CA AB 1278 Requires Public Universities to Include Information About Public Service Programs Online Bill Passed - House (54 - 9)
Feb. 25, 2021 CA AB 132 Rescinds the Eliminating Age and Time-Out-of-High-School Requirements for the California Comeback Plan Bill Passed - House (56 - 18)
Sept. 2, 2021 CA AB 1550 Establishes New Rules Regarding Higher Education Labor Relations Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 2, 2021 CA AB 1550 Establishes New Rules Regarding Higher Education Labor Relations Bill Passed - House (61 - 16)
March 10, 2021 ID H 299 Prohibits Colleges and Universities from Providing Extra Credit for Voting Bill Passed - House (63 - 6)
April 26, 2021 ID H 377 Prohibits Teaching the Topic Known as "Critical Race Theory" Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
April 22, 2021 ID H 377 Prohibits Teaching the Topic Known as "Critical Race Theory" Bill Passed - House (57 - 12)
June 15, 2021 RI H 5082 Authorizes College Athletes to Profit from the Use of their Image Bill Passed - House (68 - 1)
Feb. 12, 2021 MD HB 1 Appropriates Funding for HBCUs Bill Passed - House (115 - 14)
Feb. 11, 2021 MS HB 1030 Requires Paying Student Athletes if Their Likeness is Used in Advertising Bill Passed - House (93 - 19)
March 17, 2021 AR HB 1371 Establishes Scholarships and Grants for Private School Students Bill Failed - House (44 - 52)
Feb. 24, 2021 ND HB 1375 Appropriates 5 Million Dollars in Scholarships for High School Students Bill Passed - House (48 - 45)
Jan. 28, 2021 VA HB 1930 Prohibits Public Institutions of Higher Education from Asking About an Individual's Criminal Record During the Application Process and From Denying Admission Based on Criminal History. Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
March 15, 2021 OR HB 2090 Establishes Parameters to Alter Boundaries of Community College Districts Bill Passed - House (49 - 7)
Feb. 19, 2021 MT HB 218 Prohibits "Free Speech Zones" on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (96 - 3)
March 2, 2021 KS HB 2264 Authorizes College Athletes to Receive Compensation for the Use of their Likeness Bill Passed - House (95 - 29)
April 7, 2021 FL HB 233 Requires Florida's Public Universities to Conduct Assessments on Intellectual Freedom Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
March 18, 2021 FL HB 233 Requires Florida's Public Universities to Conduct Assessments on Intellectual Freedom Bill Passed - House (77 - 42)
April 19, 2021 NC HB 243 Authorizes the University of North Carolina System to Cut Salaries and Layoff Employees Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
May 20, 2021 OR HB 2542 Requires Oregon Public Colleges to Publicize Information on Student Fees Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 1)
May 12, 2021 MO HB 297 Repeals the Cap on Tuition Increases for Universities and Colleges Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
April 8, 2021 NH HB 319 Requires College Students Pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (188 - 187)
Feb. 25, 2021 MO HB 349 Establishes the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Program Bill Passed - House (82 - 71)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/02 A 2574 Establishes the State University of New York as an Automatic Voter Registration Location Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 20)
1/26 A 2574 Establishes the State University of New York as an Automatic Voter Registration Location Bill Passed - House (99 - 51)
5/03 AB 1278 Requires Public Universities to Include Information About Public Service Programs Online Bill Passed - House (54 - 9)
2/25 AB 132 Rescinds the Eliminating Age and Time-Out-of-High-School Requirements for the California Comeback Plan Bill Passed - House (56 - 18)
9/02 AB 1550 Establishes New Rules Regarding Higher Education Labor Relations Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/02 AB 1550 Establishes New Rules Regarding Higher Education Labor Relations Bill Passed - House (61 - 16)
3/10 H 299 Prohibits Colleges and Universities from Providing Extra Credit for Voting Bill Passed - House (63 - 6)
4/26 H 377 Prohibits Teaching the Topic Known as "Critical Race Theory" Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
4/22 H 377 Prohibits Teaching the Topic Known as "Critical Race Theory" Bill Passed - House (57 - 12)
6/15 H 5082 Authorizes College Athletes to Profit from the Use of their Image Bill Passed - House (68 - 1)
2/12 HB 1 Appropriates Funding for HBCUs Bill Passed - House (115 - 14)
2/11 HB 1030 Requires Paying Student Athletes if Their Likeness is Used in Advertising Bill Passed - House (93 - 19)
3/17 HB 1371 Establishes Scholarships and Grants for Private School Students Bill Failed - House (44 - 52)
2/24 HB 1375 Appropriates 5 Million Dollars in Scholarships for High School Students Bill Passed - House (48 - 45)
1/28 HB 1930 Prohibits Public Institutions of Higher Education from Asking About an Individual's Criminal Record During the Application Process and From Denying Admission Based on Criminal History. Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
3/15 HB 2090 Establishes Parameters to Alter Boundaries of Community College Districts Bill Passed - House (49 - 7)
2/19 HB 218 Prohibits "Free Speech Zones" on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (96 - 3)
3/02 HB 2264 Authorizes College Athletes to Receive Compensation for the Use of their Likeness Bill Passed - House (95 - 29)
4/07 HB 233 Requires Florida's Public Universities to Conduct Assessments on Intellectual Freedom Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
3/18 HB 233 Requires Florida's Public Universities to Conduct Assessments on Intellectual Freedom Bill Passed - House (77 - 42)
4/19 HB 243 Authorizes the University of North Carolina System to Cut Salaries and Layoff Employees Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
5/20 HB 2542 Requires Oregon Public Colleges to Publicize Information on Student Fees Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 1)
5/12 HB 297 Repeals the Cap on Tuition Increases for Universities and Colleges Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
4/08 HB 319 Requires College Students Pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (188 - 187)
2/25 HB 349 Establishes the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Program Bill Passed - House (82 - 71)

Page 1 of 3
arrow_upward