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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 10, 2015 | CA | AB 329 | Requires Age Appropriate Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
July 9, 2015 | WA | HB 2266 | Establishes a Delay on Class Size Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
July 7, 2015 | WI | SB 21 | 2015-2017 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
June 30, 2015 | WA | HB 2266 | Establishes a Delay on Class Size Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (27 - 17) |
June 30, 2015 | OR | SB 895 | Requires Schools to Report Immunization Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
June 17, 2015 | DE | HB 50 | Authorizes Parents to Opt Children Out of Standardized Tests | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
June 9, 2015 | WI | SB 70 | Authorizes Certain Officers to Carry Firearms in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
June 3, 2015 | AL | SB 71 | Increases Cumulative Cap on Tax Credits Available for Scholarship Donations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 14) |
June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 172 | Repeals Requirement for High School Seniors to Pass Exit Exam | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
May 26, 2015 | MI | HB 4041 | Amends Requirements to Receive Certain Assistance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
April 29, 2015 | IN | HB 1001 | 2015-2017 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9) |
April 23, 2015 | IL | SB 100 | Establishes Educational Disciplinary Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
April 16, 2015 | ND | SB 2151 | Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
April 16, 2015 | OK | SB 782 | Authorizes Charter Schools in All Districts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 7) |
April 13, 2015 | MD | HB 70 | 2015-2016 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 13) |
April 13, 2015 | MD | SB 183 | Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
April 8, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
April 7, 2015 | NV | AB 165 | Establishes the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
April 6, 2015 | WA | SB 6088 | Amends Class Size-Related Funding Calculation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
March 31, 2015 | AL | SB 71 | Increases Cumulative Cap on Tax Credits Available for Scholarship Donations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
March 31, 2015 | MT | SB 410 | Authorizes Tax Credits for Donations to Certain Educational Programs and Student Scholarship Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
March 31, 2015 | TX | SB 6 | Establishes Rating System for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
March 31, 2015 | NY | S 2006B | Establishes Annual Teacher Evaluation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
March 30, 2015 | TN | SB 999 | Establishes The Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
March 26, 2015 | OK | HB 1749 | Prohibits Payroll Deductions for Public Employee Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 16) |
March 25, 2015 | IA | SF 227 | Amends the School Year Start Date | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
March 25, 2015 | KS | HB 2326 | Amends Teacher Contracts | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 27) |
March 25, 2015 | CO | SB 45 | Establishes Tax Credits for Private School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
March 20, 2015 | ND | HB 1195 | Authorizes Concealed Firearms in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 28) |
March 19, 2015 | AL | SB 191 | Establishes the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
March 18, 2015 | AL | SB 45 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
March 16, 2015 | ID | S 1096 | Establishes Parental Rights in Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2934 | Requires a Review of State Education Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
March 12, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
March 12, 2015 | AR | SB 366 | Authorizes Additional Compensations to Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
March 11, 2015 | GA | SR 80 | Revises Advanced Placement Test in U.S. History | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
March 11, 2015 | WA | SB 5748 | Requires the Use of Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
March 10, 2015 | AL | SB 45 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
March 5, 2015 | GA | SR 287 | Authorizes Residents to Vote on New School District | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
March 5, 2015 | GA | SB 133 | Establishes Opportunity School District | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
March 3, 2015 | AR | HB 1242 | Amends Requirements for the Creation of a New School District | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
March 2, 2015 | WV | SB 14 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
Feb. 27, 2015 | KY | SB 76 | Prohibits Students from Using Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Sex | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
Feb. 26, 2015 | WY | HB 144 | Establishes a School Safety Tip Line | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
Feb. 26, 2015 | MT | SB 12 | Authorizes School Funding for 19-Year-Old Students | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
Feb. 25, 2015 | ND | SB 2254 | Amends School District Funding Calculations to Include Early Childhood Education Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 31) |
Feb. 25, 2015 | KS | SB 56 | Prohibits Exposing Minors to Harmful Materials | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
Feb. 25, 2015 | ND | SB 2151 | Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
Feb. 24, 2015 | WY | HB 159 | Repeals Statewide Writing Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
Feb. 24, 2015 | SD | SB 189 | Establishes Tax Credit Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
Feb. 24, 2015 | MT | SB 107 | Authorizes New High School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
Feb. 23, 2015 | AZ | SB 1172 | Prohibits Schools from Releasing Student Information for Political Purposes | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
Feb. 17, 2015 | VA | HB 1626 | Authorizes Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Public School Interscholastic Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
Feb. 16, 2015 | NV | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
Feb. 12, 2015 | WY | HB 23 | Authorizes Consideration of Next Generation Science Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
Feb. 12, 2015 | CO | SB 77 | Extends Parental Rights in Education and Health Care | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
Feb. 11, 2015 | MS | SB 2695 | Establishes Education Scholarship Accounts for Special Needs Students | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
Feb. 11, 2015 | MS | SB 2161 | Establishes College and Career Readiness Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
Feb. 6, 2015 | KY | SB 8 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
Feb. 5, 2015 | KY | SB 9 | Exempts Certain Construction Projects from Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
Feb. 4, 2015 | NC | SB 14 | Transfers Funds to Rules Review Commission for Litigation Expenses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
Jan. 15, 2015 | AZ | HB 2064 | Requires Additional Testing for High School Students | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |