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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 28, 2013 | NM | HB 168 | Establishes Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Failed - House (30 - 39) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | KS | SB 149 | Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | NM | HB 168 | Establishes Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Failed - House (30 - 39) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | MT | HB 505 | Prohibits Physician-Assisted Suicide | Bill Passed - House (51 - 46) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | ND | HB 1362 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | WI | SB 1 | Amends Wisconsin's Iron-Ore Mining Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | NC | SB 4 | Prohibits Medicaid Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | NC | SB 4 | Prohibits Medicaid Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 40) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | IN | SB 371 | Requires an Ultrasound Prior to the Prescription of an Abortion-Inducing Drug | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | UT | SB 109 | Authorizes the State Engineer to Manage Water Usage | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | IN | HB 1483 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (78 - 17) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | KY | SB 40 | Requires Health Care Exchanges to Be Approved by The Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | SD | HB 1214 | Authorizes Prenatal Care for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (39 - 28) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | KY | SB 39 | Requires Medicaid Expansion to be Approved by the Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | ND | HB 1385 | Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - House (19 - 72) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | WA | HB 1044 | Requires Health Insurance Plans to Cover Abortions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | AR | SB 134 | Prohibits an Abortion if a Fetal Heartbeat is Detected | Bill Passed - House (68 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | ID | S 1042 | Establishes a State Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | CO | HB 1081 | Expands Sexual Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | SD | HB 1142 | Authorizes Patients to Use a Health Care Provider Outside of Their Insurance Network | Bill Passed - House (39 - 30) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | GA | HB 178 | Requires Pain Management Clinics to be Licensed | Bill Passed - House (150 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | GA | HB 178 | Requires Pain Management Clinics to be Licensed | Bill Passed - House (150 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | UT | SB 60 | Requires the State Department of Health to Prepare Annual Report on Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | AL | HB 57 | Establishes Requirements for Medical Care at Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - House (73 - 23) |
| Feb. 18, 2013 | ND | SB 2303 | Defines a "Human Being" | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | MN | HF 9 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | VT | S 77 | Prohibits Liability for Self-Administered Lethal Dosages | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | KY | SB 50 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Farming | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| Feb. 13, 2013 | KY | SB 9 | Establishes Review Panels to Assess Nursing Home Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 13, 2013 | VT | Galbraith and Hartwell Amdt | Establishes Immunity for Doctors Prescribing or People Present to Lethal Dosage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |
| Feb. 12, 2013 | ID | H 62 | Expands Sales Tax Exemptions For Health-Related Entities | Bill Passed - House (58 - 12) |
| Feb. 11, 2013 | UT | HB 13 | Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Minors Present | Bill Passed - House (41 - 30) |
| Feb. 8, 2013 | KY | SB 5 | Requires an Ultrasound Prior to an Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| Feb. 8, 2013 | MD | SB 74 | Prohibits Operating a Vessel Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2013 | MT | HB 239 | Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| Feb. 6, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - House (27 - 10) |
| Feb. 4, 2013 | VA | SB 721 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 20) |
| Feb. 4, 2013 | NM | HJM 16 | Authorizes a Feasibility Study of Horse Slaughter Plants | Joint Resolution Failed - House (28 - 36) |
| Feb. 4, 2013 | AR | HB 1100 | Prohibits Abortion Coverage on the State Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (77 - 15) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | SD | SB 70 | Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (63 - 7) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | VA | SB 975 | Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | AR | SB 134 | Prohibits an Abortion if a Fetal Heartbeat is Detected | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | NJ | S 2241 | Prohibits Unauthorized Medical Provider Reimbursement Reductions | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1650 | Increases Requirements for Emergency Medical Service Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Bill Passed - House (53 - 23) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - House (43 - 33) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - House (43 - 33) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 2641 | Stormwater Management | Bill Passed - House (48 - 31) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | MI | SB 1294 | Requires Blue Cross Blue Shield to Begin Paying State Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | MI | SB 1294 | Requires Blue Cross Blue Shield to Begin Paying State Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
| Oct. 4, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Oct. 4, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| 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 2348 | Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2348 | Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |