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 8, 2012 | AZ | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| March 7, 2012 | UT | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 13) |
| March 7, 2012 | UT | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | AZ | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - House (34 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | AK | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | AK | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 2) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | UT | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2012 | UT | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
| Jan. 31, 2012 | NY | S 5560-A | Requires DNA Testing of All Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 10) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | MI | SB 619 | Cyber Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | MO | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 21, 2011 | OR | HB 2301 | Online Charter School Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| June 21, 2011 | OR | HB 2301 | Online Charter School Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (33 - 27) |
| June 9, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| June 8, 2011 | WI | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 242 | Privacy Control Requirements for Social Networks | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| June 1, 2011 | CA | SB 914 | Requires a Warrant to Search Cell Phones | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| May 30, 2011 | NV | SB 140 | Prohibiting the Use of Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| May 29, 2011 | TX | HB 242 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 61) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/08 | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| 3/07 | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 13) |
| 3/07 | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/29 | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - House (34 - 20) |
| 2/21 | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 2/15 | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |
| 2/15 | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 2) |
| 2/15 | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 2/07 | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
| 1/31 | S 5560-A | Requires DNA Testing of All Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 10) |
| 11/10 | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/09 | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 11/03 | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| 10/27 | SB 619 | Cyber Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 10/26 | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 9/23 | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
| 9/06 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 6/21 | HB 2301 | Online Charter School Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 6/21 | HB 2301 | Online Charter School Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (33 - 27) |
| 6/09 | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| 6/08 | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 6/02 | SB 242 | Privacy Control Requirements for Social Networks | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| 6/01 | SB 914 | Requires a Warrant to Search Cell Phones | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 5/30 | SB 140 | Prohibiting the Use of Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| 5/29 | HB 242 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 61) |