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. 7, 2013 | ND | SCR 4009 | Expands "Right to Life" to Human Beings at Any Stage of Development | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| Feb. 6, 2013 | AR | SB 131 | Prohibits Disclosure of Concealed Firearm Permit Information | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 719 | Amends Voting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 4, 2013 | VA | SB 721 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 20) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | AR | SB 134 | Prohibits an Abortion if a Fetal Heartbeat is Detected | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Jan. 28, 2013 | WY | SF 132 | Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Jan. 28, 2013 | AR | SB 71 | Authorizes Handguns on Religious Institutions' Properties | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
| Jan. 14, 2013 | NY | S 2230 | Establishes Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
| Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
| Dec. 13, 2012 | MI | SB 59 | Expands Areas Where Concealed Weapons are Authorized | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Dec. 13, 2012 | OH | HB 495 | Amends Definition of Loaded Gun | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
| Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Expands the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 11) |
| Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1650 | Increases Requirements for Emergency Medical Service Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |