Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 25, 2013 UT HB 103 Prohibits Minors From Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (48 - 22)
Feb. 22, 2013 SD HB 1214 Authorizes Prenatal Care for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (39 - 28)
Feb. 22, 2013 SD HB 1214 Authorizes Prenatal Care for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (39 - 28)
Feb. 22, 2013 NM HB 300 Authorizes Extended School Absences for Pregnant Teens Bill Passed - House (56 - 12)
Feb. 21, 2013 CO HB 1081 Expands Sexual Education Curriculum Bill Passed - House (37 - 28)
Feb. 15, 2013 UT HB 50 Expands Protective Orders to Dating Relationships Bill Passed - House (61 - 11)
Feb. 11, 2013 UT HB 13 Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Minors Present Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
Feb. 7, 2013 MT HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
Feb. 7, 2013 MT HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
Jan. 30, 2013 WY HB 168 Authorizes Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Failed - House (25 - 34)
Jan. 24, 2013 RI H 5015 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (51 - 19)
Jan. 16, 2013 WY HB 23 Requires Juvenile Offenders to Be Eligible for Parole While Serving a Life Sentence Bill Passed - House (42 - 17)
Dec. 14, 2012 MI SB 756 Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (74 - 33)
Oct. 18, 2012 NJ A 1711 Increases Penalties for Failing to Secure a Child in a Car Seat Bill Passed - House (63 - 16)
Aug. 28, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
Aug. 16, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
July 19, 2012 National H Amdt 1416 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
June 21, 2012 NJ A 1571 Increases Requirements for Learner's Permits Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
May 31, 2012 MI HB 4513 Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/25 HB 103 Prohibits Minors From Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (48 - 22)
2/22 HB 1214 Authorizes Prenatal Care for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (39 - 28)
2/22 HB 1214 Authorizes Prenatal Care for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (39 - 28)
2/22 HB 300 Authorizes Extended School Absences for Pregnant Teens Bill Passed - House (56 - 12)
2/21 HB 1081 Expands Sexual Education Curriculum Bill Passed - House (37 - 28)
2/15 HB 50 Expands Protective Orders to Dating Relationships Bill Passed - House (61 - 11)
2/11 HB 13 Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Minors Present Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
2/07 HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
2/07 HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
1/30 HB 168 Authorizes Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Failed - House (25 - 34)
1/24 H 5015 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (51 - 19)
1/16 HB 23 Requires Juvenile Offenders to Be Eligible for Parole While Serving a Life Sentence Bill Passed - House (42 - 17)
12/14 SB 756 Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (74 - 33)
10/18 A 1711 Increases Penalties for Failing to Secure a Child in a Car Seat Bill Passed - House (63 - 16)
8/28 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/27 AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29)
8/27 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
8/27 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
8/16 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
7/19 H Amdt 1416 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
6/21 A 1571 Increases Requirements for Learner's Permits Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
5/31 HB 4513 Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)

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