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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 30, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46) |
| Sept. 27, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| Sept. 18, 2013 | MI | SB 276 | Requires Community Service for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 60 | Authorizes Driver's License for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Sept. 9, 2013 | CA | AB 4 | Prohibits Law Enforcement from Detaining Individuals Solely Based on Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 27, 2013 | MI | HB 4714 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 8, 2013 | OR | HB 2639 | Prohibits Discrimination in Selling, Renting, or Leasing Property | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| July 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 3, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| July 3, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| July 1, 2013 | OR | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| June 27, 2013 | CA | AB 277 | Authorizes Gaming on Traditional Tribal Territory | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| June 27, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32) |
| June 23, 2013 | TX | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| June 19, 2013 | DE | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| June 14, 2013 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| June 12, 2013 | NC | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| June 11, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/30 | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 9/27 | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 9/18 | SB 276 | Requires Community Service for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/12 | AB 60 | Authorizes Driver's License for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 9/12 | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 9/09 | AB 4 | Prohibits Law Enforcement from Detaining Individuals Solely Based on Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 8/27 | HB 4714 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 8/23 | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 7/23 | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| 7/23 | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| 7/08 | HB 2639 | Prohibits Discrimination in Selling, Renting, or Leasing Property | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 7/08 | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 7/03 | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 7/03 | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 7/01 | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 6/27 | AB 277 | Authorizes Gaming on Traditional Tribal Territory | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 6/27 | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 6/27 | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32) |
| 6/23 | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 6/19 | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| 6/18 | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
| 6/18 | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| 6/14 | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| 6/12 | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 6/11 | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15) |