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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2013 | CT | HB 5277 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - House (117 - 26) |
| May 6, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| May 6, 2013 | NC | SB 489 | Amends the Consumer Finance Act | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| May 6, 2013 | PA | HB 440 | Amends Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (129 - 65) |
| May 6, 2013 | LA | HB 45 | Establishes Licenses for the In-State Sale and Manufacture of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (77 - 20) |
| May 4, 2013 | TX | HB 852 | Prohibits the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - House (87 - 42) |
| May 4, 2013 | TX | HB 852 | Prohibits the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - House (87 - 42) |
| May 3, 2013 | MN | HF 92 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (68 - 62) |
| May 2, 2013 | NH | HB 443 | Prohibits Contracts with Private Entities for Inmate Custody | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 1, 2013 | FL | HB 7007 | Exempts Manufacturing Equipment from Sales Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 48) |
| May 1, 2013 | IL | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| April 30, 2013 | AZ | SB 1439 | Authorizes the Use of Gold and Silver as Legal Tender | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 30, 2013 | MI | SB 197 | Requires the State Prison Food Service To Seek Competitive Bids From Private Entities | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| April 25, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| April 23, 2013 | MT | HB 297 | Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| April 22, 2013 | TX | SB 1247 | Limits Payday Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| April 22, 2013 | TX | SB 1247 | Limits Payday Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| April 20, 2013 | MT | HB 297 | Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 37) |
| April 18, 2013 | AR | SB 1020 | Authorizes Private Purchase of Health Insurance with Federal Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| April 18, 2013 | NV | AB 126 | Requires Restaurant Chains to Disclose Calorie Counts | Bill Passed - House (25 - 14) |
| April 17, 2013 | AR | SB 1020 | Authorizes Private Purchase of Health Insurance with Federal Funds | Bill Passed - House (70 - 23) |
| April 17, 2013 | TN | SB 1248 | Requires Disclosure of Photographic Evidence of Animal Abuse | Bill Passed - House (50 - 43) |
| April 17, 2013 | IL | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (61 - 57) |
| April 16, 2013 | TN | SB 1248 | Requires Disclosure of Photographic Evidence of Animal Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| April 16, 2013 | MO | SB 112 | Extends the New Markets Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/07 | HB 5277 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - House (117 - 26) |
| 5/06 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| 5/06 | SB 489 | Amends the Consumer Finance Act | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 5/06 | HB 440 | Amends Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (129 - 65) |
| 5/06 | HB 45 | Establishes Licenses for the In-State Sale and Manufacture of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (77 - 20) |
| 5/04 | HB 852 | Prohibits the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - House (87 - 42) |
| 5/04 | HB 852 | Prohibits the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - House (87 - 42) |
| 5/03 | HF 92 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (68 - 62) |
| 5/02 | HB 443 | Prohibits Contracts with Private Entities for Inmate Custody | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 7007 | Exempts Manufacturing Equipment from Sales Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 48) |
| 5/01 | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 4/30 | SB 1439 | Authorizes the Use of Gold and Silver as Legal Tender | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/30 | SB 197 | Requires the State Prison Food Service To Seek Competitive Bids From Private Entities | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 4/25 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| 4/23 | HB 297 | Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 4/22 | SB 1247 | Limits Payday Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 4/22 | SB 1247 | Limits Payday Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 4/20 | HB 297 | Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 37) |
| 4/18 | SB 1020 | Authorizes Private Purchase of Health Insurance with Federal Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| 4/18 | AB 126 | Requires Restaurant Chains to Disclose Calorie Counts | Bill Passed - House (25 - 14) |
| 4/17 | SB 1020 | Authorizes Private Purchase of Health Insurance with Federal Funds | Bill Passed - House (70 - 23) |
| 4/17 | SB 1248 | Requires Disclosure of Photographic Evidence of Animal Abuse | Bill Passed - House (50 - 43) |
| 4/17 | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (61 - 57) |
| 4/16 | SB 1248 | Requires Disclosure of Photographic Evidence of Animal Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| 4/16 | SB 112 | Extends the New Markets Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |