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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| July 30, 2014 | NC | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| July 25, 2014 | NC | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 35) |
| July 16, 2014 | NC | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 34) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| July 10, 2014 | NC | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 12) |
| July 9, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| July 2, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (119 - 80) |
| July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1003 | Limits Eligibility for School Employee Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1004 | Amends the Public School Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| June 29, 2014 | PA | HB 1013 | Amends Laws for Home-Schooled Individuals | Bill Passed - House (133 - 65) |
| June 26, 2014 | NJ | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| June 26, 2014 | NJ | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| June 11, 2014 | National | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
| June 3, 2014 | OH | HB 171 | Authorizes Off-Campus Religious Courses for High School Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 3, 2014 | DE | SB 209 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (24 - 13) |
| June 1, 2014 | LA | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 17) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 41) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| May 29, 2014 | IL | HB 5707 | Amends Bullying Prevention Measures in the School Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 40) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| May 28, 2014 | LA | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| 7/30 | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| 7/25 | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 35) |
| 7/16 | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 34) |
| 7/16 | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| 7/10 | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 12) |
| 7/09 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 7/08 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 7/02 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (119 - 80) |
| 7/02 | HB 1003 | Limits Eligibility for School Employee Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 7/02 | HB 1004 | Amends the Public School Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 7/01 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 6/29 | HB 1013 | Amends Laws for Home-Schooled Individuals | Bill Passed - House (133 - 65) |
| 6/26 | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| 6/26 | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 6/11 | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
| 6/03 | HB 171 | Authorizes Off-Campus Religious Courses for High School Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/03 | SB 209 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (24 - 13) |
| 6/01 | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 17) |
| 5/30 | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 41) |
| 5/30 | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| 5/29 | HB 5707 | Amends Bullying Prevention Measures in the School Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 40) |
| 5/29 | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 5/28 | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |