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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 21, 2012 | CA | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | NJ | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | NJ | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 19, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| July 18, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| July 5, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 2001 | Expands Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 20, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| June 19, 2012 | NY | A 1157B | Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology | Bill Passed - House (85 - 60) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
| June 14, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 8/22 | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/21 | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 8/20 | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/20 | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 8/20 | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 8/16 | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
| 8/02 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/19 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 7/18 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| 7/05 | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 7/02 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48) |
| 7/02 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| 6/27 | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110) |
| 6/27 | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112) |
| 6/27 | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
| 6/27 | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 6/27 | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 6/21 | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| 6/21 | S 2001 | Expands Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 6/20 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 6/19 | A 1157B | Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology | Bill Passed - House (85 - 60) |
| 6/19 | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
| 6/14 | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |