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. 18, 2017 | PA | HB 178 | Amends Public School Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (105 - 81) |
| Oct. 18, 2017 | MI | SB 574 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Collect Revenues From Enhancement Millages | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 19, 2017 | RI | S 608 | Requires Notification of Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops | Bill Passed - House (61 - 0) |
| Sept. 5, 2017 | CA | AB 841 | Restricts Marketing of Unhealthy Foods in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Aug. 28, 2017 | IL | SB 1947 | Establishes School Funding Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 34) |
| Aug. 13, 2017 | IL | SB 1 | Specifies School Funding Reallocation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| Aug. 13, 2017 | IL | SB 1 | Specifies School Funding Reallocation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| July 26, 2017 | TX | SB 3 | Amends Regulations of Public and Charter School Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| July 25, 2017 | TX | SB 2 | Appropriates Funds for Private School Scholarships | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| July 9, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Authorizes Budget Cuts for Low-Performing Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| July 9, 2017 | PA | HB 97 | Authorizes Budget Cuts for Low-Performing Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| June 22, 2017 | OH | HB 170 | Authorizes Students to Take Computer Science in Lieu of Algebra II | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| June 22, 2017 | OH | HB 170 | Authorizes Students to Take Computer Science in Lieu of Algebra II | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| June 21, 2017 | WI | AB 299 | Authorizes Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| June 20, 2017 | MI | SB 401 | Amends Teacher Retirement Plans | Bill Passed - House (55 - 51) |
| June 19, 2017 | NJ | S 3067 | Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| June 15, 2017 | MI | HB 4647 | Establishes Teacher Pension Plan | Bill Passed - House (55 - 52) |
| June 15, 2017 | MI | SB 401 | Amends Teacher Retirement Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| June 6, 2017 | RI | S 608 | Requires Notification of Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 0) |
| June 1, 2017 | NH | SB 8 | Authorizes Overpopulated Public Schools to Transfer Students Elsewhere | Bill Passed - House (210 - 147) |
| May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 1 | Specifies School Funding Reallocation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 1351 | Establishes Laws Governing Student Loan Servicers | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| May 30, 2017 | CA | SB 328 | Amends School Start Time | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 17, 2017 | RI | H 5457A | Requires Parents to Take Course in Driver's Education | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
| May 17, 2017 | IL | SB 1 | Specifies School Funding Reallocation | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |