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 11, 2016 | SD | SB 172 | 2016-2017 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| March 9, 2016 | SC | H 3579 | Appropriates Funds for Highways | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| March 7, 2016 | VA | HB 1090 | Rescinds Funds from Certain Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2016 | UT | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 2, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| March 2, 2016 | MS | SB 2238 | Prohibits the Appropriation of Funds to Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 17) |
| March 2, 2016 | WV | SB 705 | Reduces Severance Tax Rate on Oil, Natural Gas and Coal Production | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| March 1, 2016 | SD | HB 1182 | Increases Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Feb. 26, 2016 | WA | SB 6246 | 2016-2017 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| Feb. 25, 2016 | AL | SB 125 | 2016-2017 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | SD | SB 159 | Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| Feb. 22, 2016 | AZ | SB 1402 | Amends Tax Rate for Property Belonging to Institutions of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | WA | SB 6195 | Amends Education Funding System | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2016 | KY | SB 7 | Prohibits Appropriation of Local Funds for Certain Family Planning Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Jan. 27, 2016 | OH | HB 294 | Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Certain Abortion Services | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| Jan. 20, 2016 | WI | AB 310 | Prohibits a Public Entity from Distributing Certain Funds to Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Dec. 18, 2015 | National | HR 2029 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33) |
| Dec. 18, 2015 | National | HR 2029 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33) |
| Dec. 3, 2015 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Nov. 5, 2015 | National | HR 2685 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
| Nov. 3, 2015 | AK | SB 3001 | Appropriates Funds for Liquid Natural Gas (AKLNG) Pipeline | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
| Oct. 29, 2015 | National | HR 1314 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| Oct. 21, 2015 | OH | SB 214 | Amends Healthcare Funds Distribution | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Oct. 7, 2015 | National | HR 1735 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 27) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/11 | SB 172 | 2016-2017 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 3/09 | H 3579 | Appropriates Funds for Highways | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 3/07 | HB 1090 | Rescinds Funds from Certain Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 3/07 | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/02 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 3/02 | SB 2238 | Prohibits the Appropriation of Funds to Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 17) |
| 3/02 | SB 705 | Reduces Severance Tax Rate on Oil, Natural Gas and Coal Production | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| 3/01 | HB 1182 | Increases Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 2/26 | SB 6246 | 2016-2017 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| 2/25 | SB 125 | 2016-2017 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 2/24 | SB 159 | Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 2/22 | SB 1402 | Amends Tax Rate for Property Belonging to Institutions of Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 2/16 | SB 6195 | Amends Education Funding System | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SB 7 | Prohibits Appropriation of Local Funds for Certain Family Planning Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 1/27 | HB 294 | Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Certain Abortion Services | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 1/21 | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 1/20 | AB 310 | Prohibits a Public Entity from Distributing Certain Funds to Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 12/18 | HR 2029 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 12/18 | HR 2029 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 12/03 | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 11/05 | HR 2685 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
| 11/03 | SB 3001 | Appropriates Funds for Liquid Natural Gas (AKLNG) Pipeline | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
| 10/29 | HR 1314 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 10/21 | SB 214 | Amends Healthcare Funds Distribution | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 10/07 | HR 1735 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 27) |