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 18, 2013 | CT | HB 6648 | Authorizes University Board of Regents to Appoint President of the Board | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| April 17, 2013 | MT | SB 175 | Increases Public Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| April 17, 2013 | MN | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 18) |
| April 17, 2013 | IL | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (66 - 52) |
| April 15, 2013 | IN | SB 207 | Authorizes Certain Undocumented Students to Receive In-State Tuition | Bill Passed - House (70 - 23) |
| April 15, 2013 | WA | SB 5329 | Requires Superintendent to Take Action in Certain Schools | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| April 10, 2013 | IN | HB 1357 | Amends Licensing Requirements for Superintendents | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 25) |
| April 10, 2013 | IN | HB 1003 | Expands School Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| April 10, 2013 | OR | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| April 9, 2013 | IN | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| April 8, 2013 | MD | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - House (99 - 41) |
| April 6, 2013 | MD | HB 1107 | Amends Prince George's County School System Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 47) |
| April 5, 2013 | KS | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 8) |
| April 5, 2013 | KS | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - House (90 - 30) |
| April 4, 2013 | AK | HB 162 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - House (28 - 10) |
| April 4, 2013 | MD | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 4, 2013 | FL | HB 867 | Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions | Bill Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| April 3, 2013 | MS | SB 2659 | Establishes a Grant for School Resource Officers in Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 36) |
| April 3, 2013 | ID | H 221 | Amends Public Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 22) |
| April 3, 2013 | CT | SB 1160 | Establishes Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (105 - 44) |
| April 3, 2013 | CT | SB 1160 | Establishes Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| April 3, 2013 | AR | HB 1938 | Prohibits the Closure of Schools Based on Student Enrollment for 2 Years | Bill Failed - House (46 - 26) |
| April 2, 2013 | MS | SB 2199 | Requires Appointed Superintendents | Conference Report Rejected - House (52 - 66) |
| April 1, 2013 | NV | SJR 15 | Removes the Separate Tax Rate on Mining | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 4) |
| April 1, 2013 | IA | SF 429 | 2013-14 Community Colleges Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/18 | HB 6648 | Authorizes University Board of Regents to Appoint President of the Board | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 4/17 | SB 175 | Increases Public Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| 4/17 | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 18) |
| 4/17 | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (66 - 52) |
| 4/15 | SB 207 | Authorizes Certain Undocumented Students to Receive In-State Tuition | Bill Passed - House (70 - 23) |
| 4/15 | SB 5329 | Requires Superintendent to Take Action in Certain Schools | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| 4/10 | HB 1357 | Amends Licensing Requirements for Superintendents | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 25) |
| 4/10 | HB 1003 | Expands School Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 4/10 | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| 4/09 | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 4/08 | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - House (99 - 41) |
| 4/06 | HB 1107 | Amends Prince George's County School System Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 47) |
| 4/05 | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 4/05 | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - House (90 - 30) |
| 4/04 | HB 162 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - House (28 - 10) |
| 4/04 | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 4/04 | HB 867 | Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions | Bill Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| 4/03 | SB 2659 | Establishes a Grant for School Resource Officers in Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 36) |
| 4/03 | H 221 | Amends Public Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 22) |
| 4/03 | SB 1160 | Establishes Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (105 - 44) |
| 4/03 | SB 1160 | Establishes Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 4/03 | HB 1938 | Prohibits the Closure of Schools Based on Student Enrollment for 2 Years | Bill Failed - House (46 - 26) |
| 4/02 | SB 2199 | Requires Appointed Superintendents | Conference Report Rejected - House (52 - 66) |
| 4/01 | SJR 15 | Removes the Separate Tax Rate on Mining | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 4) |
| 4/01 | SF 429 | 2013-14 Community Colleges Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |