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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19, 2016 | TN | SB 2376 | Authorizes University of Tennessee Employees to Carry a Handgun on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| April 18, 2016 | TN | HB 2248 | Rescinds Funding for the University of Tennessee's Diversity Office | Bill Passed - House (66 - 22) |
| April 17, 2016 | AK | HB 156 | Amends Certain Public Education Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| April 13, 2016 | OH | HB 425 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| April 7, 2016 | MD | HB 172 | Amends School Board Nominating Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
| April 7, 2016 | MO | HB 2003 | Appropriates Funds to the Department of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| April 7, 2016 | AK | SB 174 | Prohibits the University of Alaska from Regulating Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 5) |
| April 7, 2016 | MA | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| March 31, 2016 | MD | SB 1052 | Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| March 30, 2016 | MD | SB 1052 | Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland | Bill Passed - House (92 - 44) |
| March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 174 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 175 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| March 23, 2016 | KS | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| March 23, 2016 | KS | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| March 22, 2016 | MI | SB 710 | Amends the Detroit Public School System | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| March 22, 2016 | AL | SB 205 | Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| March 21, 2016 | ID | S 1342 | Authorizes Bibles in Schools as Educational References | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| March 16, 2016 | KS | SB 175 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Associations | Bill Passed - House (81 - 41) |
| March 16, 2016 | MD | SB 706 | Establishes Education Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
| March 16, 2016 | KY | SB 253 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| March 12, 2016 | MD | HB 1002 | Prohibits Firearms on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (81 - 54) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 36) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17) |
| March 11, 2016 | GA | HB 859 | Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms at Institutions of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| March 10, 2016 | IN | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/19 | SB 2376 | Authorizes University of Tennessee Employees to Carry a Handgun on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 4/18 | HB 2248 | Rescinds Funding for the University of Tennessee's Diversity Office | Bill Passed - House (66 - 22) |
| 4/17 | HB 156 | Amends Certain Public Education Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 4/13 | HB 425 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| 4/07 | HB 172 | Amends School Board Nominating Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
| 4/07 | HB 2003 | Appropriates Funds to the Department of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 4/07 | SB 174 | Prohibits the University of Alaska from Regulating Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 5) |
| 4/07 | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 3/31 | SB 1052 | Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 3/30 | SB 1052 | Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland | Bill Passed - House (92 - 44) |
| 3/23 | SF 174 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| 3/23 | SF 175 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| 3/23 | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 3/23 | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 3/22 | SB 710 | Amends the Detroit Public School System | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 3/22 | SB 205 | Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 3/21 | S 1342 | Authorizes Bibles in Schools as Educational References | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| 3/16 | SB 175 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Associations | Bill Passed - House (81 - 41) |
| 3/16 | SB 706 | Establishes Education Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
| 3/16 | SB 253 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 3/12 | HB 1002 | Prohibits Firearms on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (81 - 54) |
| 3/11 | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 36) |
| 3/11 | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 3/11 | HB 859 | Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms at Institutions of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 3/10 | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17) |