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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 21, 2015 | National | HR 10 | Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Reauthorization Act | Bill Passed - House (240 - 191) |
| Sept. 30, 2015 | OH | HB 2 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| Sept. 11, 2015 | CA | AB 329 | Requires Age Appropriate Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| Sept. 10, 2015 | CA | AB 329 | Requires Age Appropriate Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Sept. 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| July 9, 2015 | WA | HB 2266 | Establishes a Delay on Class Size Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| July 8, 2015 | WI | SB 21 | 2015-2017 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| July 8, 2015 | National | HR 5 | Student Success Act | Bill Passed - House (218 - 213) |
| July 7, 2015 | WI | SB 21 | 2015-2017 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| July 2, 2015 | OR | SB 895 | Requires Schools to Report Immunization Rates | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| June 30, 2015 | WA | HB 2266 | Establishes a Delay on Class Size Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| June 30, 2015 | OR | SB 895 | Requires Schools to Report Immunization Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| June 23, 2015 | PA | HB 805 | Requires Schools to Use Teacher Performance Evaluations | Bill Passed - House (100 - 91) |
| June 17, 2015 | DE | HB 50 | Authorizes Parents to Opt Children Out of Standardized Tests | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
| June 15, 2015 | OR | HB 2655 | Authorizes Parents to Excuse Children from Statewide Assessments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (32 - 28) |
| June 9, 2015 | WI | SB 70 | Authorizes Certain Officers to Carry Firearms in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| June 3, 2015 | AL | SB 71 | Increases Cumulative Cap on Tax Credits Available for Scholarship Donations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 14) |
| June 2, 2015 | MI | HB 4041 | Amends Requirements to Receive Certain Assistance Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 172 | Repeals Requirement for High School Seniors to Pass Exit Exam | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| May 29, 2015 | NV | SB 302 | Establishes Education Savings Account | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| May 28, 2015 | AL | SB 71 | Increases Cumulative Cap on Tax Credits Available for Scholarship Donations | Bill Passed - House (68 - 26) |
| May 27, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| May 26, 2015 | MI | HB 4041 | Amends Requirements to Receive Certain Assistance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |