This vote was the final decision in the Senate for S. 2296. By passing this bill, the Senate has formally approved the legislation and the specific policies it contains. In the Senate, a 'passage' vote is the definitive step for a piece of legislation after debate and changes (amendments) have finished. This type of vote requires a simple majority of those present to succeed. In this case, with 97 senators voting, at least 49 'yea' votes were needed. The bill passed comfortably with 77 votes. Because the bill has now passed the Senate, it will move to the House of Representatives for consideration unless it has already been passed there in identical form. If both chambers have approved the exact same version, the bill will be sent to the President to be signed into law. The broad support from both Democrats and Republicans indicates significant agreement on the bill's goals.