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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 24, 2023 | PA | SB 7 | Authorizes Parents to Review Explicit materials in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
July 7, 2023 | PA | HB 1422 | Requires Public Schools Report Spending for Paid Media Advertisements | Bill Passed - House (122 - 82) |
May 2, 2023 | PA | HB 100 | Authorizes Cross-Age Tutoring for Students in Lower Grades | Bill Passed - House (141 - 60) |
June 29, 2022 | PA | SB 1278 | Prohibits Instruction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for K-5 Students | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
Oct. 6, 2021 | PA | HB 1332 | Requires All School Districts Post Curriculum Online | Bill Passed - House (110 - 89) |
Nov. 18, 2020 | PA | SB 1216 | Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Sept. 9, 2020 | PA | HB 2787 | Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
Sept. 2, 2020 | PA | HB 2787 | Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 | Bill Passed - House (155 - 47) |
Sept. 2, 2020 | PA | HB 2788 | Authorizes Students to Repeat a Grade Level Due to COVID-19 | Bill Passed - House (197 - 5) |
July 15, 2020 | PA | SB 1216 | Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0) |
March 25, 2020 | PA | SB 751 | Authorizes Financial Assistance for Schools Amid COVID-19-Related Shutdown | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (50 - 0) |
Nov. 21, 2019 | PA | HB 49 | Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
Nov. 19, 2019 | PA | HB 49 | Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 37) |
Oct. 23, 2019 | PA | HB 49 | Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20) |
June 28, 2019 | PA | HB 1615 | Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (160 - 39) |
June 27, 2019 | PA | HB 1615 | Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
June 27, 2019 | PA | SB 621 | Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards | Bill Passed - House (116 - 83) |
June 11, 2019 | PA | HB 800 | Increases Amount of Tax Credits Available for Students to Attend the School of Their Choice | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
June 11, 2019 | PA | SB 621 | Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
May 7, 2019 | PA | HB 800 | Increases Amount of Tax Credits Available for Students to Attend the School of Their Choice | Bill Passed - House (111 - 85) |
Sept. 26, 2018 | PA | SB 1098 | Establishes School Bus Safety Grant Program Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
Sept. 25, 2018 | PA | SB 521 | Requires CPR Training in High Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
June 22, 2018 | PA | HB 1448 | Requires Lead Testing in School Water Systems | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 4) |
June 22, 2018 | PA | HB 1448 | Requires Lead Testing in School Water Systems | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 1) |
June 6, 2018 | PA | HB 564 | Requires Civics Test for High School Students | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (167 - 27) |
Oct. 18, 2017 | PA | HB 178 | Amends Public School Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (105 - 81) |
July 9, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Authorizes Budget Cuts for Low-Performing Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
April 25, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Prohibits Failing Students from Continuing Online Charter School | Bill Passed - House (108 - 84) |
June 23, 2015 | PA | HB 805 | Requires Schools to Use Teacher Performance Evaluations | Bill Passed - House (100 - 91) |
March 4, 2015 | PA | HB 530 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (118 - 78) |
June 29, 2014 | PA | HB 1013 | Amends Laws for Home-Schooled Individuals | Bill Passed - House (133 - 65) |
Jan. 13, 2014 | PA | HB 1741 | Requires a School Board to Provide Public Notice Prior to Certain Votes | Bill Passed - House (102 - 98) |
Oct. 16, 2012 | PA | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (120 - 77) |
June 28, 2012 | PA | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 95) |
June 19, 2012 | PA | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | PA | H Amdt 7732 | Tuition Vouchers for Charter Schools | Amendment Rejected - House (90 - 105) |
Oct. 26, 2011 | PA | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
June 30, 2011 | PA | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
June 30, 2011 | PA | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Bill Passed - House (109 - 86) |
May 11, 2011 | PA | SB 612 | Guidelines for Teacher Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |