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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 13, 2012 | CO | HB 1088 | Authorizes the Use of Deadly Force Against Intruders in a Place of Business | Bill Passed - House (35 - 26) |
| Feb. 13, 2012 | NM | SB 9 | Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Jan. 31, 2012 | IN | HB 1149 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - House (62 - 34) |
| Jan. 25, 2012 | IN | HB 1001 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join a Labor Organization | Bill Passed - House (54 - 44) |
| Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 170 | Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 269 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Jan. 9, 2012 | NJ | S 3172 | Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Jan. 9, 2012 | NJ | S 3172 | Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Jan. 9, 2012 | NJ | S 3172 | Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries | Bill Passed - House (51 - 18) |
| Jan. 9, 2012 | NJ | S 3172 | Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries | Bill Passed - House (51 - 18) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | National | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
| Dec. 2, 2011 | National | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | HR 527 | Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (263 - 159) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | HR 2930 | Authorizes Crowdfunding for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (407 - 17) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | WI | SB 12 | Limits Attorney Fees in Consumer Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Oct. 20, 2011 | National | S Amdt 769 | Authorizes Individuals to Import FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| Oct. 18, 2011 | National | S Amdt 740 | Repeals Funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
| Oct. 18, 2011 | National | S Amdt 740 | Repeals Funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3080 | Free Trade Agreement with Korea | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3078 | Trade Promotion Agreement with Colombia | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 33) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3079 | Trade Promotion Agreement with Panama | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 22) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3078 | Trade Promotion Agreement with Colombia | Bill Passed - House (262 - 167) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3079 | Trade Promotion Agreement with Panama | Bill Passed - House (300 - 129) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3080 | Free Trade Agreement with Korea | Bill Passed - House (278 - 151) |
| Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1619 | Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| Sept. 22, 2011 | National | S Amdt 633 | Extends Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 28) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 625 | Reducing and Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 641 | Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 645 | Repeals the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 645 | Repeals the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | ABX1 40 | State Tax Code Restructuring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 27) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 469 | Requirements for Expansion by Large Retailers | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Aug. 30, 2011 | CA | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| July 21, 2011 | National | HR 1315 | Oversight of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Bill Passed - House (241 - 173) |
| June 23, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (304 - 117) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 119) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| June 20, 2011 | NY | A 6698A | Freelance Wage Protection | Bill Passed - House (84 - 58) |
| June 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 390 | Amending Small Business Regulations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |