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 13, 2016 | OH | HB 425 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| April 7, 2016 | MD | HB 172 | Amends School Board Nominating Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
| April 7, 2016 | MA | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 174 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| March 23, 2016 | IA | SF 175 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| March 23, 2016 | KS | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| March 22, 2016 | AL | SB 205 | Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| March 22, 2016 | MI | SB 710 | Amends the Detroit Public School System | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| March 21, 2016 | ID | S 1342 | Authorizes Bibles in Schools as Educational References | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| March 16, 2016 | MD | SB 706 | Establishes Education Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
| March 16, 2016 | KY | SB 253 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 36) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17) |
| March 10, 2016 | IN | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 10, 2016 | WA | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| March 9, 2016 | IN | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 43) |
| March 9, 2016 | FL | HB 7029 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| March 9, 2016 | WA | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| March 7, 2016 | VA | HB 389 | Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| March 3, 2016 | SD | HB 1008 | Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 29) |
| March 3, 2016 | IN | SB 334 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| March 3, 2016 | MS | HB 989 | Establishes the Mississippi Achievement School District | Bill Passed - House (82 - 38) |
| March 1, 2016 | VA | HB 516 | Requires Parental Review of Explicit School Books | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 1, 2016 | OK | HB 2797 | Requires Public High Schools to Teach Students about Fetal Development During Pregnancy | Bill Passed - House (64 - 12) |
| March 1, 2016 | AZ | HB 2151 | Authorizes Teachers to Receive Tax Credits for Purchased School Supplies | Bill Passed - House (34 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/13 | HB 425 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| 4/07 | HB 172 | Amends School Board Nominating Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 50) |
| 4/07 | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 3/23 | SF 174 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| 3/23 | SF 175 | Increases K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 41) |
| 3/23 | SB 469 | Amends Labor Union Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 3/22 | SB 205 | Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 3/22 | SB 710 | Amends the Detroit Public School System | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 3/21 | S 1342 | Authorizes Bibles in Schools as Educational References | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| 3/16 | SB 706 | Establishes Education Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
| 3/16 | SB 253 | Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 3/11 | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 36) |
| 3/11 | HB 8 | Establishes Virtual Public School | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 3/10 | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 3/10 | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 3/09 | HB 1005 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 43) |
| 3/09 | HB 7029 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 3/09 | SB 6194 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| 3/07 | HB 389 | Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 3/03 | HB 1008 | Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 29) |
| 3/03 | SB 334 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| 3/03 | HB 989 | Establishes the Mississippi Achievement School District | Bill Passed - House (82 - 38) |
| 3/01 | HB 516 | Requires Parental Review of Explicit School Books | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/01 | HB 2797 | Requires Public High Schools to Teach Students about Fetal Development During Pregnancy | Bill Passed - House (64 - 12) |
| 3/01 | HB 2151 | Authorizes Teachers to Receive Tax Credits for Purchased School Supplies | Bill Passed - House (34 - 24) |