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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2006 | WA | 2nd Sub HB 2292 | Addressing Health Care Liability Reform | Bill Passed - House (54 - 43) |
| Jan. 20, 2006 | WA | Sub HB 2661 | Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| Jan. 19, 2006 | WI | AB 766 | Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps | Veto Override Failed - House (63 - 36) |
| Jan. 9, 2006 | NJ | S 2083 | Domestic Partner Surviving Rights | Bill Passed - House (67 - 8) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 420 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 184) |
| Oct. 19, 2005 | National | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| June 20, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 19) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| March 21, 2005 | National | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| Feb. 17, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| Sept. 14, 2004 | National | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| May 12, 2004 | National | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| March 10, 2004 | National | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 13, 2003 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| Feb. 16, 2000 | National | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| June 17, 1999 | National | HR 1501 | Juvenile Justice bill | Bill Passed - House (287 - 139) |
| Oct. 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| Oct. 22, 1997 | National | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| Oct. 8, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - House (295 - 136) |
| May 9, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| May 7, 1996 | National | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| March 8, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| Feb. 10, 1994 | National | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| Nov. 18, 1993 | National | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/23 | 2nd Sub HB 2292 | Addressing Health Care Liability Reform | Bill Passed - House (54 - 43) |
| 1/20 | Sub HB 2661 | Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| 1/19 | AB 766 | Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps | Veto Override Failed - House (63 - 36) |
| 1/09 | S 2083 | Domestic Partner Surviving Rights | Bill Passed - House (67 - 8) |
| 12/19 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| 10/27 | HR 420 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 184) |
| 10/19 | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |
| 7/28 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| 6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| 6/20 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 19) |
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 3/21 | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| 2/17 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| 9/23 | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| 9/14 | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| 5/12 | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 3/10 | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/13 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| 2/16 | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| 6/17 | HR 1501 | Juvenile Justice bill | Bill Passed - House (287 - 139) |
| 10/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| 7/23 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| 2/25 | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| 11/13 | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| 10/22 | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| 10/08 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| 3/20 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - House (295 - 136) |
| 5/09 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| 5/07 | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| 3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| 3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| 12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| 12/06 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| 3/08 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| 2/10 | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| 11/18 | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |