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. 24, 2011 | NC | SB 8 | Repeal on the Number of Charter Schools Allowed | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | SC | H 3241 | Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (85 - 32) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | IN | SB 1 | Evaluating and Licensing of Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | MT | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | OK | SB 435 | Modifying Board of Education Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1412 | Teaching Personal Finance in Middle Schools | Bill Failed - House (47 - 47) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IA | HF 260 | House Rule School Governance | Bill Passed - House (65 - 30) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | WY | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Failed - House (20 - 35) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | OH | HB 30 | Reduce Required School Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 36) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | UT | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | SF 140 | Kindergarten Attendance | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | IN | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | WY | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 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 | NY | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1381 | Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 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. 27, 2010 | CA | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| Aug. 26, 2010 | CA | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Aug. 10, 2010 | National | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161) |
| Aug. 5, 2010 | National | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39) |
| April 29, 2010 | AZ | HB 2281 | Ethnic Studies Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (32 - 26) |
| April 28, 2010 | AZ | HB 2281 | Ethnic Studies Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| April 21, 2010 | AL | HB 105 | Required Physical Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 7) |
| April 14, 2010 | AL | HB 105 | Required Physical Education | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 8) |
| March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207) |
| March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| March 21, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| July 19, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| Dec. 8, 2005 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2287 | After School Funding Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2292 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2275 | Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/24 | SB 8 | Repeal on the Number of Charter Schools Allowed | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/24 | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/23 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 2/23 | H 3241 | Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (85 - 32) |
| 2/22 | SB 1 | Evaluating and Licensing of Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 2/22 | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| 2/21 | SB 435 | Modifying Board of Education Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 2/18 | HB 1412 | Teaching Personal Finance in Middle Schools | Bill Failed - House (47 - 47) |
| 2/18 | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| 2/17 | HF 260 | House Rule School Governance | Bill Passed - House (65 - 30) |
| 2/17 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 2/16 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| 2/16 | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Failed - House (20 - 35) |
| 2/16 | HB 30 | Reduce Required School Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 36) |
| 2/16 | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| 2/08 | SF 140 | Kindergarten Attendance | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| 2/08 | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| 2/08 | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 2/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 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 | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 1/31 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| 8/31 | SB 1381 | Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/31 | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 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) |
| 8/27 | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| 8/26 | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| 8/10 | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161) |
| 8/05 | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 4/29 | HB 2281 | Ethnic Studies Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (32 - 26) |
| 4/28 | HB 2281 | Ethnic Studies Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 4/21 | HB 105 | Required Physical Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 7) |
| 4/14 | HB 105 | Required Physical Education | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 8) |
| 3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207) |
| 3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 3/21 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| 7/19 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 12/14 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| 12/08 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| 11/17 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| 10/27 | S Amdt 2287 | After School Funding Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
| 10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2292 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2275 | Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51) |