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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 11, 2013 | MI | HB 4369 | Expands the Education Achievement Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Nov. 5, 2013 | WI | AB 297 | Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Sept. 10, 2013 | CA | AB 484 | Amends State School Testing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| July 24, 2013 | National | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| July 24, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 16, 2013 | NC | HB 250 | Amends Charter School Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9) |
| July 3, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| July 2, 2013 | NC | SB 132 | Requires Certain Reproductive Health and Safety Education for Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
| July 2, 2013 | OR | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| July 2, 2013 | OR | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| July 1, 2013 | OR | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| June 18, 2013 | ME | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 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 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 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/11 | HB 4369 | Expands the Education Achievement Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 11/05 | AB 297 | Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 9/12 | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 9/10 | AB 484 | Amends State School Testing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 7/24 | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 7/24 | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 7/23 | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 7/23 | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| 7/16 | HB 250 | Amends Charter School Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 7/03 | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 7/02 | SB 132 | Requires Certain Reproductive Health and Safety Education for Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
| 7/02 | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| 7/02 | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| 7/01 | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 6/18 | LD 1540 | Amends Public School Assessment System | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 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) |
| 5/22 | 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) |
| 5/17 | 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) |