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, 2018 | AZ | HB 2563 | Establishes Free Speech Policy for College Campuses | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 13) |
| April 18, 2018 | CT | SB 4 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| April 17, 2018 | CO | SB 18-083 | Establishes Educational Tax Credit System | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 14, 2018 | AK | HB 287 | Appropriates Funds for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| April 11, 2018 | OH | SB 82 | Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
| April 5, 2018 | KS | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| April 5, 2018 | KS | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| April 4, 2018 | TN | SB 2260 | Reorganizes University of Tennessee Board of Trustees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| April 3, 2018 | IA | HF 2467 | Establishes Guidelines for Handling Students' Lunch Debt | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| March 29, 2018 | DE | SB 85 | Requires Report on School Suspensions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| March 28, 2018 | OK | HB 1010 | Increases Taxes to Provide More Funding for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 27, 2018 | MD | HB 420 | Authorizes Certain In-State Students to Receive Financial Aid | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| March 26, 2018 | NJ | S 699 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| March 25, 2018 | MS | HB 1593 | Appropriates Funds for Educational Television | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 16) |
| March 22, 2018 | MI | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| March 22, 2018 | MI | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| March 21, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| March 21, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| March 16, 2018 | ID | H 665 | Increases Penalties for Threats Against Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| March 15, 2018 | AR | HB 1008 | Expands Tuition Savings Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5) |
| Feb. 27, 2018 | SD | HB 1199 | Prohibits Collective Bargaining at Public Universities | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2018 | NJ | S 414 | Requires Employment Background Checks for Teachers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
| Feb. 9, 2018 | NC | HB 90 | Limits Public School Class Sizes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 5) |
| Feb. 9, 2018 | National | HR 1892 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28) |
| Feb. 8, 2018 | IA | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/19 | HB 2563 | Establishes Free Speech Policy for College Campuses | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 4/18 | SB 4 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 4/17 | SB 18-083 | Establishes Educational Tax Credit System | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/14 | HB 287 | Appropriates Funds for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| 4/11 | SB 82 | Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
| 4/05 | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 4/05 | SB 423 | Appropriates Funds for Department of Education and Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 4/04 | SB 2260 | Reorganizes University of Tennessee Board of Trustees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 4/03 | HF 2467 | Establishes Guidelines for Handling Students' Lunch Debt | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| 3/29 | SB 85 | Requires Report on School Suspensions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 3/28 | HB 1010 | Increases Taxes to Provide More Funding for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 3/27 | HB 420 | Authorizes Certain In-State Students to Receive Financial Aid | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 3/26 | S 699 | Authorizes Financial Aid for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 3/25 | HB 1593 | Appropriates Funds for Educational Television | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 3/22 | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 3/22 | SB 727 | Amends Certain Education Teaching Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 3/21 | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| 3/21 | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| 3/16 | H 665 | Increases Penalties for Threats Against Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| 3/15 | HB 1008 | Expands Tuition Savings Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5) |
| 2/27 | HB 1199 | Prohibits Collective Bargaining at Public Universities | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 18) |
| 2/26 | S 414 | Requires Employment Background Checks for Teachers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
| 2/09 | HB 90 | Limits Public School Class Sizes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 5) |
| 2/09 | HR 1892 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28) |
| 2/08 | SF 2117 | Amends Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |