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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| Oct. 30, 2013 | National | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| Oct. 30, 2013 | National | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| Oct. 29, 2013 | National | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| Oct. 29, 2013 | National | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | MO | HB 253 | Authorizes Income Tax Cuts | Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 67) |
| July 25, 2013 | NC | HB 938 | Amends Wetland Permit Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| July 25, 2013 | National | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| July 24, 2013 | National | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| July 24, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| July 18, 2013 | NC | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| July 16, 2013 | NC | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 39) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | S 2723 | Amends Firearms Identification Card Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| June 24, 2013 | NJ | S 2723 | Amends Firearm Identification Card Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 34) |
| June 18, 2013 | OR | HB 3162 | Requires Manufacturers to Remove Certain Chemicals from Children's Products | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| June 5, 2013 | CT | HB 5277 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| June 4, 2013 | OR | SB 692 | Requires Certain Electronics to Meet Energy Efficiency Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| May 30, 2013 | OR | SB 692 | Requires Certain Electronics to Meet Energy Efficiency Standards | Bill Passed - House (40 - 19) |
| May 30, 2013 | CA | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| May 29, 2013 | CT | SB 387 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 53 | Requires Ammunition Purchasers to Undergo a Background Check | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| May 28, 2013 | NV | SB 165 | Authorizes Film Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| May 27, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (63 - 55) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/07 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| 11/07 | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 11/04 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| 10/30 | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| 10/30 | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| 10/29 | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| 10/29 | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| 9/11 | HB 253 | Authorizes Income Tax Cuts | Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 67) |
| 7/25 | HB 938 | Amends Wetland Permit Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| 7/25 | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| 7/24 | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 7/24 | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 7/18 | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 7/16 | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 39) |
| 6/27 | S 2723 | Amends Firearms Identification Card Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 6/24 | S 2723 | Amends Firearm Identification Card Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 34) |
| 6/18 | HB 3162 | Requires Manufacturers to Remove Certain Chemicals from Children's Products | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| 6/05 | HB 5277 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 6/04 | SB 692 | Requires Certain Electronics to Meet Energy Efficiency Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 5/30 | SB 692 | Requires Certain Electronics to Meet Energy Efficiency Standards | Bill Passed - House (40 - 19) |
| 5/30 | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| 5/29 | SB 387 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
| 5/29 | SB 53 | Requires Ammunition Purchasers to Undergo a Background Check | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 5/28 | SB 165 | Authorizes Film Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| 5/27 | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (63 - 55) |