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, 2015 | MD | SB 183 | Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| April 13, 2015 | MD | SB 183 | Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 8, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| April 8, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Veto Override Passed - House (111 - 49) |
| April 7, 2015 | NV | AB 165 | Establishes the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| April 6, 2015 | WA | SB 6088 | Amends Class Size-Related Funding Calculation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| April 2, 2015 | OK | SB 711 | Encourages School Districts to Report Alleged Criminal Actions of Teachers | Bill Passed - House (61 - 29) |
| April 2, 2015 | MO | HB 499 | Requires Public Schools to Recite the Pledge of Allegiance in English | Bill Passed - House (118 - 30) |
| April 1, 2015 | AZ | SB 1332 | Expands Empowerment Scholarship to Include Native Americans | Bill Passed - House (31 - 28) |
| April 1, 2015 | AK | SB 64 | Amends School Bond Debt Reimbursement | Bill Passed - House (23 - 15) |
| April 1, 2015 | NV | AB 165 | Establishes the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| March 31, 2015 | NY | S 2006B | Establishes Annual Teacher Evaluation Program | Bill Passed - House (92 - 55) |
| March 31, 2015 | AL | SB 71 | Increases Cumulative Cap on Tax Credits Available for Scholarship Donations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| March 31, 2015 | MT | SB 410 | Authorizes Tax Credits for Donations to Certain Educational Programs and Student Scholarship Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| March 31, 2015 | NY | S 2006B | Establishes Annual Teacher Evaluation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
| March 31, 2015 | TX | SB 6 | Establishes Rating System for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| March 30, 2015 | TN | SB 999 | Establishes The Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| March 27, 2015 | FL | HB 7037 | Appropriates Funds for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (75 - 35) |
| March 26, 2015 | OK | HB 1749 | Prohibits Payroll Deductions for Public Employee Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 16) |
| March 26, 2015 | OH | HB 2 | Amends Charter School Regulations | Bill Passed - House (70 - 25) |
| March 26, 2015 | MI | HB 4041 | Requires School Attendance to Receive Assistance Funds | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| March 25, 2015 | IA | SF 227 | Amends the School Year Start Date | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| March 25, 2015 | KS | HB 2326 | Amends Teacher Contracts | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 27) |
| March 25, 2015 | CO | SB 45 | Establishes Tax Credits for Private School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 20, 2015 | ND | HB 1195 | Authorizes Concealed Firearms in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 28) |
| March 19, 2015 | AL | SB 191 | Establishes the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| March 18, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 45) |
| March 18, 2015 | AL | SB 45 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| March 18, 2015 | AL | SB 45 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| March 16, 2015 | ID | S 1096 | Establishes Parental Rights in Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2005 | Expands Certain Teacher Certification Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 37) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2934 | Requires a Review of State Education Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | SB 286 | Amends Exemption Procedure for Compulsory Immunizations | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| March 13, 2015 | KS | SB 7 | Appropriates Funds to the Department of Education | Bill Passed - House (64 - 57) |
| March 13, 2015 | AR | HB 1377 | Authorizes the Use of Waivers by Public School Districts | Bill Passed - House (58 - 18) |
| March 12, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
| March 12, 2015 | AR | SB 366 | Authorizes Additional Compensations to Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 11, 2015 | MO | HB 187 | Prohibits Undocumented Immigrants from Receiving Student Financial Aid | Bill Passed - House (111 - 41) |
| March 11, 2015 | GA | SR 80 | Revises Advanced Placement Test in U.S. History | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| March 11, 2015 | WA | SB 5748 | Requires the Use of Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| March 10, 2015 | MS | SB 2258 | Authorizes Department of Education to Investigate Cheating Allegations | Bill Passed - House (65 - 53) |
| March 10, 2015 | AL | SB 45 | Authorizes Public Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 9, 2015 | AZ | HB 2246 | Authorizes Parents to Opt-Out of Standardized Tests for Their Children | Bill Passed - House (35 - 24) |
| March 5, 2015 | NV | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - House (23 - 19) |
| March 5, 2015 | MN | HF 2 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Layoffs | Bill Passed - House (70 - 63) |
| March 5, 2015 | GA | SB 133 | Establishes Opportunity School District | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| March 5, 2015 | GA | SR 287 | Authorizes Residents to Vote on New School District | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| March 4, 2015 | PA | HB 530 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (118 - 78) |
| March 3, 2015 | AR | HB 1242 | Amends Requirements for the Creation of a New School District | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| March 3, 2015 | SD | SB 89 | Requires School Safety Plans and Lockdown Drills | Bill Failed - House (30 - 37) |