Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 17, 2019 NC HB 389 Authorizes Alcohol Sales at Public College Sporting Events Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
June 12, 2019 ME LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
June 4, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
May 22, 2019 CA SB 206 Authorizes Compensation for College Athletes Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5)
May 21, 2019 IL HB 253 Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
May 8, 2019 IL HB 2691 Authorizes Tuition Assistance to Transgender and Undocumented Immigrant Students Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
April 29, 2019 CO SB 19-007 Establishes Standards for Sexual Misconduct Policies at Higher Education Institutions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
April 28, 2019 WA HB 2158 Establishes a Business Tax to Finance a Higher Education Fund Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
April 24, 2019 MN SF 2415 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
April 22, 2019 IA SF 188 Authorizes Stun Guns on Campuses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
April 17, 2019 OR SB 859 Exempts Graduate Students Who Qualify for Tuition Equity From Paying Nonresident Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
April 3, 2019 AR HB 1684 Authorizes In-State Tuition for DACA Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
March 11, 2019 IA SF 274 Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)
Feb. 21, 2019 NJ S 3039 Prohibits Financial Aid For Students Convicted Of Hazing Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 0)
June 25, 2018 NJ S 2055 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Incarcerated Persons Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
June 20, 2018 NY S 2493 Prohibits College Funds for Organizations that Promote Boycotts of Allied Nations Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 12)
April 19, 2018 IL SB 2546 Authorizes Graduate Research Assistant Unions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
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 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)
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 15, 2018 AR HB 1008 Expands Tuition Savings Plan Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/17 HB 389 Authorizes Alcohol Sales at Public College Sporting Events Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
6/12 LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
6/04 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
5/22 SB 206 Authorizes Compensation for College Athletes Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5)
5/21 HB 253 Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
5/08 HB 2691 Authorizes Tuition Assistance to Transgender and Undocumented Immigrant Students Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
4/29 SB 19-007 Establishes Standards for Sexual Misconduct Policies at Higher Education Institutions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
4/28 HB 2158 Establishes a Business Tax to Finance a Higher Education Fund Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
4/24 SF 2415 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
4/22 SF 188 Authorizes Stun Guns on Campuses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
4/17 SB 859 Exempts Graduate Students Who Qualify for Tuition Equity From Paying Nonresident Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
4/10 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
4/03 HB 1684 Authorizes In-State Tuition for DACA Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
3/11 SF 274 Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)
2/21 S 3039 Prohibits Financial Aid For Students Convicted Of Hazing Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 0)
6/25 S 2055 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Incarcerated Persons Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
6/20 S 2493 Prohibits College Funds for Organizations that Promote Boycotts of Allied Nations Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 12)
4/19 SB 2546 Authorizes Graduate Research Assistant Unions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
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)
4/05 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)
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)
3/15 HB 1008 Expands Tuition Savings Plan Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)

arrow_upward