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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9, 2010 | NE | LB 780 | PTSD Workers' Compensation Benefits for First Responders | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 5) |
| April 6, 2010 | NE | Amdt 2455 | Limiting First Responder PTSD Benefits to 26 Weeks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 30) |
| April 6, 2010 | NE | Amdt 2454 | Limiting First Responder PTSD Death Benefits to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 27) |
| April 5, 2010 | CO | SB 133 | Income Tax Credit Incentive for Colorado Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| April 5, 2010 | CO | SB 133 | Income Tax Credit Incentive for Colorado Businesses | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 17) |
| April 2, 2010 | WA | SB 6503 | State Employee Furlough Plan | Bill Passed - House (50 - 38) |
| April 1, 2010 | MD | SB 789 | Requires Shift Breaks for Certain Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| March 29, 2010 | IA | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| March 29, 2010 | IA | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| March 26, 2010 | ME | LD 1552 | Repealing Maine Tree Growth Program Eligibility for Use of "Bonded Laborers" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 68) |
| March 26, 2010 | ME | LD 1552 | Repealing Maine Tree Growth Program Eligibility for Use of "Bonded Laborers" | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207) |
| March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| March 25, 2010 | KY | SB 178 | Closed-Session School Superintendent Evaluations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 29) |
| March 24, 2010 | FL | SB 6 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 23, 2010 | KY | HB 239 | School Principal Selection Process Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| March 21, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| March 18, 2010 | IA | HF 2518 | Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| March 17, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| March 17, 2010 | IA | HF 2518 | Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| March 11, 2010 | MN | HF 2700 | Omnibus Bonding and Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 44) |
| March 11, 2010 | MN | HF 2700 | Omnibus Bonding and Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 17) |
| March 10, 2010 | SC | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 12) |
| March 10, 2010 | SC | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| March 9, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Motion Agreed - House (55 - 42) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/09 | LB 780 | PTSD Workers' Compensation Benefits for First Responders | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 5) |
| 4/06 | Amdt 2455 | Limiting First Responder PTSD Benefits to 26 Weeks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 30) |
| 4/06 | Amdt 2454 | Limiting First Responder PTSD Death Benefits to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 27) |
| 4/05 | SB 133 | Income Tax Credit Incentive for Colorado Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 4/05 | SB 133 | Income Tax Credit Incentive for Colorado Businesses | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 17) |
| 4/02 | SB 6503 | State Employee Furlough Plan | Bill Passed - House (50 - 38) |
| 4/01 | SB 789 | Requires Shift Breaks for Certain Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| 3/29 | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 3/29 | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 3/26 | LD 1552 | Repealing Maine Tree Growth Program Eligibility for Use of "Bonded Laborers" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 68) |
| 3/26 | LD 1552 | Repealing Maine Tree Growth Program Eligibility for Use of "Bonded Laborers" | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| 3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207) |
| 3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 3/25 | SB 178 | Closed-Session School Superintendent Evaluations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 29) |
| 3/24 | SB 6 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/23 | HB 239 | School Principal Selection Process Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 3/21 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| 3/18 | HF 2518 | Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 3/17 | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 3/17 | HF 2518 | Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| 3/11 | HF 2700 | Omnibus Bonding and Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 44) |
| 3/11 | HF 2700 | Omnibus Bonding and Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 17) |
| 3/10 | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 12) |
| 3/10 | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| 3/09 | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Motion Agreed - House (55 - 42) |