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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2013 | ME | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | Bill Passed - House (80 - 55) |
| June 18, 2013 | ME | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 10, 2013 | AZ | HB 2399 | Authorizes School Boards to Increase Property Taxes to Pay for Bonds | Bill Passed - House (31 - 26) |
| June 6, 2013 | National | S 953 | Student Loan Affordability Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46) |
| June 6, 2013 | National | S 1003 | Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57) |
| May 29, 2013 | MI | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 29, 2013 | MI | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - House (64 - 11) |
| May 28, 2013 | ME | LD 468 | Prohibits Smoking on College Campuses | Veto Override Failed - House (85 - 54) |
| May 28, 2013 | MI | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 43) |
| May 28, 2013 | MI | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 43) |
| May 23, 2013 | National | HR 1911 | Smarter Solutions for Students Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 198) |
| May 22, 2013 | IL | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| May 22, 2013 | TX | HB 1009 | Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 19, 2013 | MN | HF 630 | 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 26) |
| May 18, 2013 | MN | HF 630 | 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 56) |
| May 17, 2013 | MN | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 56) |
| May 17, 2013 | MN | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 22) |
| May 16, 2013 | CA | SB 552 | Authorizes a Violence Awareness Component of School Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| May 14, 2013 | MO | SB 125 | Amends State Intervention Process For Unaccredited Schools | Bill Passed - House (107 - 49) |
| May 9, 2013 | AL | HB 658 | Amends The School "Accountability Act" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 41) |
| May 9, 2013 | AL | HB 658 | Amends The School "Accountability Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 9, 2013 | TX | SB 376 | Establishes a Free Breakfast Program for Students | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
| May 9, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - House (46 - 25) |
| May 7, 2013 | NC | SB 337 | Establishes an Independent Charter School Board | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | Bill Passed - House (80 - 55) |
| 6/18 | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 6/10 | HB 2399 | Authorizes School Boards to Increase Property Taxes to Pay for Bonds | Bill Passed - House (31 - 26) |
| 6/06 | S 953 | Student Loan Affordability Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46) |
| 6/06 | S 1003 | Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57) |
| 5/29 | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/29 | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/29 | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - House (64 - 11) |
| 5/28 | LD 468 | Prohibits Smoking on College Campuses | Veto Override Failed - House (85 - 54) |
| 5/28 | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 43) |
| 5/28 | HB 4228 | 2013-2014 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 43) |
| 5/23 | HR 1911 | Smarter Solutions for Students Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 198) |
| 5/22 | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| 5/22 | HB 1009 | Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/19 | HF 630 | 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 26) |
| 5/18 | HF 630 | 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 56) |
| 5/17 | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 56) |
| 5/17 | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 22) |
| 5/16 | SB 552 | Authorizes a Violence Awareness Component of School Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| 5/14 | SB 125 | Amends State Intervention Process For Unaccredited Schools | Bill Passed - House (107 - 49) |
| 5/09 | HB 658 | Amends The School "Accountability Act" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 41) |
| 5/09 | HB 658 | Amends The School "Accountability Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 5/09 | SB 376 | Establishes a Free Breakfast Program for Students | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
| 5/09 | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - House (46 - 25) |
| 5/07 | SB 337 | Establishes an Independent Charter School Board | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |