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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2013 | OK | HB 1062 | Authorizes School Employees to Carry Handguns on School Property | Bill Passed - House (68 - 23) |
| March 8, 2013 | WA | HB 1283 | Amends School Age Requirements | Bill Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| March 6, 2013 | OK | SB 1001 | Authorizes Parents to Petition for Certain School Actions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 12) |
| March 6, 2013 | WA | SB 5328 | Establishes a Grading System for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| March 5, 2013 | ID | HB 206 | Appropriates Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| March 5, 2013 | KY | SB 176 | Authorizes Low-Achieving Schools to Become Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| March 4, 2013 | SD | HB 1087 | Authorizes School Sentinel Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 19) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | AL | HB 84 | Authorizes Schools to Apply for Waivers from State Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | MO | HB 388 | Requires School Ratings Based on Student Performance | Bill Passed - House (128 - 23) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | MO | HB 34 | Authorizes School Districts To Opt Out of Prevailing Wage Requirement | Bill Passed - House (89 - 59) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | SD | HB 1087 | Authorizes School Sentinel Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | MT | HB 384 | Authorizes Students to Bring Firearms to School | Bill Failed - House (45 - 53) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | ID | S 1089 | Amends Early Teacher Retirement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | ND | HB 1215 | Authorizes Concealed Weapons in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| Feb. 23, 2013 | MT | SB 175 | Increases Public Education Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | NM | HB 300 | Authorizes Extended School Absences for Pregnant Teens | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | IN | HB 1003 | Expands School Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | CO | HB 1081 | Expands Sexual Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | VA | SB 1324 | Establishes Education Institution and Board | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | VT | H 265 | Amends Education Property Tax Rates for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (96 - 45) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | NH | HB 370 | Repeals the Education Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - House (188 - 151) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | ND | SB 2267 | Appropriates Funding for School Safety | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| Feb. 16, 2013 | MT | SB 81 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donations to Educational Charities | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IA | SF 161 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | AL | HB 84 | Authorizes Schools to Apply for Waivers from State Laws | Bill Passed - House (65 - 37) |