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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 19, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2255 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 60 | Authorizes Driver's License for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Sept. 9, 2013 | CA | AB 4 | Prohibits Law Enforcement from Detaining Individuals Solely Based on Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| July 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| June 27, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| June 11, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15) |
| May 29, 2013 | CT | HB 6495 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 7, 2013 | CO | SB 251 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 1, 2013 | MN | SF 723 | Authorizes In-State Tuition and Financial Aid for Undocumented College Students | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 30, 2013 | ME | SP 550 | Alleges Support For Comprehensive Immigration Reform | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| April 23, 2013 | MT | HB 297 | Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| April 23, 2013 | OR | SB 833 | Authorizes Drivers Licenses for Individuals Without Legal Proof of US Residence | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| April 22, 2013 | IN | SB 207 | Authorizes Certain Undocumented Students to Receive In-State Tuition | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| April 4, 2013 | MO | SB 265 | Prohibits Compliance with United Nations Agenda 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| March 26, 2013 | OK | HB 1999 | Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
| March 25, 2013 | MD | SB 715 | Amends Driver's License Requirements for Undocumented Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 139 | Prohibits the United States From Entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| March 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 139 | Prohibits the United States From Entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| March 21, 2013 | OR | HB 2787 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| March 20, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 26) |
| March 7, 2013 | National | PN 48 | Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| March 7, 2013 | National | PN 48 | Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | IN | SB 207 | Authorizes Certain Undocumented Students to Receive In-State Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | CO | SB 33 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | OK | SB 375 | Authorizes the International Sale of Horse Meat for Human Consumption | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
| Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
| Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
| Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3025 | Requires Sufficient Sizing of Civilian and Contract Services Workforces | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 53) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3025 | Requires Sufficient Sizing of Civilian and Contract Services Workforces | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 53) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3096 | Accelerated Transition of US Military Operations to the Government of Afghanistan | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 33) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
| Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |