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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 11, 2011 | ND | HB 1470 | Higher Education Tuition | Bill Failed - House (41 - 51) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | IN | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | VA | HB 1465 | Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (52 - 5) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | VA | HB 2314 | Education Improvement Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | ID | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | VA | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (53 - 41) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1381 | Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade | Bill Passed - House (51 - 18) |
| Aug. 30, 2010 | CA | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Bill Passed - House (58 - 17) |
| Aug. 26, 2010 | CA | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Aug. 25, 2010 | MI | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| Aug. 23, 2010 | CA | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| Aug. 10, 2010 | National | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161) |
| June 28, 2010 | NJ | S 2094 | Limiting State Alternate Benefit Program for Higher Education Faculty | Bill Passed - House (41 - 36) |
| June 23, 2010 | PA | HB 704 | Special Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (173 - 25) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 519 | Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 1171 | Standards for Colleges and Universities | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| June 18, 2010 | LA | SB 584 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 23) |
| June 18, 2010 | NY | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (79 - 52) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/11 | HB 1470 | Higher Education Tuition | Bill Failed - House (41 - 51) |
| 2/08 | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 2/08 | HB 1465 | Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| 2/08 | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (52 - 5) |
| 2/08 | HB 2314 | Education Improvement Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 2/07 | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/01 | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| 2/01 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (53 - 41) |
| 1/31 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| 12/08 | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| 11/15 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| 11/15 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |
| 8/31 | SB 1381 | Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade | Bill Passed - House (51 - 18) |
| 8/30 | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Bill Passed - House (58 - 17) |
| 8/26 | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| 8/25 | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| 8/23 | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| 8/10 | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161) |
| 6/28 | S 2094 | Limiting State Alternate Benefit Program for Higher Education Faculty | Bill Passed - House (41 - 36) |
| 6/23 | HB 704 | Special Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (173 - 25) |
| 6/20 | HB 519 | Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19) |
| 6/20 | HB 1171 | Standards for Colleges and Universities | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| 6/18 | SB 584 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 23) |
| 6/18 | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (79 - 52) |