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. 2, 2009 | NY | A 860 | Increasing Income and Rent Threshold to Qualify for Rent Deregulation | Bill Passed - House (86 - 58) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | CO | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | GA | HB 143 | Property Tax Grant Appropriation Authorization | Bill Passed - House (117 - 55) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MT | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Jan. 21, 2009 | National | HR 384 | Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (260 - 166) |
| Dec. 15, 2008 | NJ | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Dec. 15, 2008 | NJ | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| Oct. 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 20 to H 5300 | Repealing Property Tax Exemption | Amendment Tabled - House (98 - 17) |
| Oct. 3, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171) |
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Sept. 29, 2008 | National | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Aug. 25, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Bill Passed - House (49 - 22) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | NY | A 11838 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (118 - 24) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| Aug. 8, 2008 | NY | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| July 26, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
| July 23, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| July 18, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| July 15, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - House (92 - 20) |
| July 10, 2008 | NC | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/02 | A 860 | Increasing Income and Rent Threshold to Qualify for Rent Deregulation | Bill Passed - House (86 - 58) |
| 2/02 | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |
| 1/30 | HB 143 | Property Tax Grant Appropriation Authorization | Bill Passed - House (117 - 55) |
| 1/26 | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 1/21 | HR 384 | Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (260 - 166) |
| 12/15 | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 12/15 | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| 11/24 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 11/17 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 10/21 | H Amdt 20 to H 5300 | Repealing Property Tax Exemption | Amendment Tabled - House (98 - 17) |
| 10/03 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171) |
| 10/01 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 9/29 | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 8/25 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Bill Passed - House (49 - 22) |
| 8/19 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 8/19 | A 11838 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (118 - 24) |
| 8/13 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| 8/08 | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| 7/26 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
| 7/23 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| 7/18 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| 7/17 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 7/15 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - House (92 - 20) |
| 7/10 | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |