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 27, 2011 | National | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| July 13, 2011 | National | HR 2018 | Amending Clean Water Laws | Bill Passed - House (239 - 184) |
| June 29, 2011 | NJ | S 2576 | Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - House (58 - 11) |
| June 28, 2011 | AK | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Failed - House (18 - 18) |
| June 28, 2011 | OH | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| June 27, 2011 | AK | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7) |
| June 22, 2011 | National | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| June 22, 2011 | OH | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| April 7, 2011 | National | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| March 30, 2011 | NH | HB 519 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - House (251 - 108) |
| March 29, 2011 | WA | SB 5251 | Electric Vehicle Registration Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| March 5, 2011 | WA | SB 5769 | Coal-Fired Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| March 3, 2011 | NJ | A 2215 | Loans for Development of Green Buildings | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 32) |
| March 1, 2011 | AZ | SB 1394 | Regulation of Greenhouse Substances and Freedom to Breathe | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | MN | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (89 - 42) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | WA | HB 1489 | Anti-Phosphorus Fertilizer Bill | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MN | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | MT | HB 550 | Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 31) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | MN | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 50) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | MT | HB 309 | Prohibits Recreational Access to Ditches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 43) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | WI | SB 10 | Wetland Regulations | Bill Passed - House (56 - 35) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | MN | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | WI | SB 10 | Wetland Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | HR 5110 | Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Bill Failed - House (244 - 174) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | HR 4823 | Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area | Bill Failed - House (258 - 160) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21) |
| Aug. 30, 2010 | CA | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| Aug. 23, 2010 | CA | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| July 2, 2010 | PA | HB 2601 | Environmentally Beneficial and Energy Efficient Technologies | Bill Passed - House (125 - 71) |
| June 21, 2010 | LA | SB 65 | Coastal Zone Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17) |
| June 21, 2010 | NY | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 18, 2010 | NY | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (79 - 52) |
| June 16, 2010 | MI | SR 158 | Oil Spill Prevention Plans for Dairy Farmers | Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| June 15, 2010 | PA | HB 708 | Recycling Program for Electronic Materials | Bill Passed - House (169 - 30) |
| June 10, 2010 | National | S J Res 26 | Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| May 28, 2010 | NY | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27) |
| May 28, 2010 | NY | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| May 12, 2010 | VT | H 485 | Property Tax and Land Use Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1358 | Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 27) |
| May 11, 2010 | DE | SB 234 | Universal Recycling and Beverage Containers | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| May 7, 2010 | CO | HB 1358 | Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 4, 2010 | LA | HCR 144 | Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig | Motion Agreed - House (60 - 32) |
| April 28, 2010 | CO | HB 1348 | Regulations on Radioactive Material | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| April 15, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| March 22, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/27 | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| 7/13 | HR 2018 | Amending Clean Water Laws | Bill Passed - House (239 - 184) |
| 6/29 | S 2576 | Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - House (58 - 11) |
| 6/28 | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Failed - House (18 - 18) |
| 6/28 | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 6/27 | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7) |
| 6/22 | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| 6/22 | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| 6/02 | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 5/11 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| 4/07 | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| 3/30 | HB 519 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - House (251 - 108) |
| 3/29 | SB 5251 | Electric Vehicle Registration Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 3/05 | SB 5769 | Coal-Fired Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 3/03 | A 2215 | Loans for Development of Green Buildings | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 32) |
| 3/01 | SB 1394 | Regulation of Greenhouse Substances and Freedom to Breathe | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 2/28 | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (89 - 42) |
| 2/28 | HB 1489 | Anti-Phosphorus Fertilizer Bill | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| 2/24 | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| 2/23 | HB 550 | Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 31) |
| 2/17 | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 50) |
| 2/10 | HB 309 | Prohibits Recreational Access to Ditches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 43) |
| 2/02 | SB 10 | Wetland Regulations | Bill Passed - House (56 - 35) |
| 2/02 | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14) |
| 2/02 | SB 10 | Wetland Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 1/24 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | |
| 9/23 | HR 5110 | Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Bill Failed - House (244 - 174) |
| 9/23 | HR 4823 | Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area | Bill Failed - House (258 - 160) |
| 8/31 | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21) |
| 8/30 | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 8/23 | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 7/30 | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| 7/02 | HB 2601 | Environmentally Beneficial and Energy Efficient Technologies | Bill Passed - House (125 - 71) |
| 6/21 | SB 65 | Coastal Zone Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17) |
| 6/21 | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/18 | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (79 - 52) |
| 6/16 | SR 158 | Oil Spill Prevention Plans for Dairy Farmers | Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 6/15 | HB 708 | Recycling Program for Electronic Materials | Bill Passed - House (169 - 30) |
| 6/10 | S J Res 26 | Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 6/02 | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| 5/28 | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27) |
| 5/28 | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| 5/12 | H 485 | Property Tax and Land Use Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 5/11 | HB 1358 | Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 27) |
| 5/11 | SB 234 | Universal Recycling and Beverage Containers | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| 5/07 | HB 1358 | Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/04 | HCR 144 | Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig | Motion Agreed - House (60 - 32) |
| 4/28 | HB 1348 | Regulations on Radioactive Material | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 4/15 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 3/22 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |