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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 24, 2014 | CO | SB 18 | Expands List of Tobacco Products Prohibited to Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 13, 2014 | IN | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 6) |
| March 12, 2014 | UT | HB 96 | Establishes a School Readiness Board | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10) |
| March 6, 2014 | IN | SB 50 | Prohibits the Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 5, 2014 | OK | SB 1219 | Prohibits Minors from Purchasing Certain Emergency Contraceptives | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| March 4, 2014 | IN | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| Feb. 17, 2014 | IN | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Feb. 12, 2014 | MI | SB 319 | Amends the Sentencing Procedure for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 31, 2014 | WA | SB 6523 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Jan. 23, 2014 | IN | SB 50 | Prohibits the Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| Nov. 12, 2013 | HI | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| Nov. 5, 2013 | IL | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| July 25, 2013 | NC | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| July 3, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| June 20, 2013 | NJ | S 2842 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 13, 2013 | WA | HB 2075 | Repeals Marital Trust Estate Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| May 30, 2013 | LA | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 3) |
| May 15, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| May 13, 2013 | MN | HF 1054 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 30) |
| May 9, 2013 | OR | HB 2896 | Prohibits The Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13) |
| May 7, 2013 | DE | HB 75 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| May 2, 2013 | CA | SB 501 | Requires Social Networking Sites to Remove Personal Identifying Information | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| April 30, 2013 | FL | HB 867 | Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| April 24, 2013 | RI | H 5015 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/24 | SB 18 | Expands List of Tobacco Products Prohibited to Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 6) |
| 3/12 | HB 96 | Establishes a School Readiness Board | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10) |
| 3/06 | SB 50 | Prohibits the Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/05 | SB 1219 | Prohibits Minors from Purchasing Certain Emergency Contraceptives | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 3/04 | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 2/17 | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 2/12 | SB 319 | Amends the Sentencing Procedure for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/31 | SB 6523 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 1/23 | SB 50 | Prohibits the Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 11/12 | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 11/05 | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| 7/25 | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 7/03 | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 6/27 | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 6/20 | S 2842 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 6/13 | HB 2075 | Repeals Marital Trust Estate Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 5/30 | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 5/15 | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| 5/13 | HF 1054 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 30) |
| 5/09 | HB 2896 | Prohibits The Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 5/07 | HB 75 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 5/02 | SB 501 | Requires Social Networking Sites to Remove Personal Identifying Information | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 4/30 | HB 867 | Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 4/24 | H 5015 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |