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 | SD | HB 1004 | Legalizing the Killing of Threatening Mountain Lions | Bill Passed - House (37 - 32) |
| Jan. 20, 2009 | MT | HB 62 | Mandatory Trapper Education Course | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| May 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| March 31, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| March 26, 2008 | AK | HB 256 | Relaxing Predator Control Standards | Bill Passed - House (25 - 12) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| March 5, 2008 | WV | SB 373 | Reclassification of Streams | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (62 - 6) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | WY | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WA | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 29) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | SD | HB 1171 | Hunting Mountain Lions | Bill Failed - House (26 - 42) |
| Jan. 28, 2008 | GA | HB 301 | Increasing Dogfighting Penalties | Bill Passed - House (165 - 6) |
| June 28, 2007 | PA | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | AB 1634 | California Healthy Pets Act | Bill Passed - House (41 - 38) |
| May 24, 2007 | AL | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| May 23, 2007 | ME | LD 1635 | Recreational Bear Trapping Ban | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60) |
| March 29, 2007 | MT | HB 343 | Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - House (63 - 37) |
| March 27, 2007 | NH | HB 923 | Dog Racing Prohibition | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | WY | HB 213 | Gray Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - House (52 - 8) |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | National | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| June 28, 2006 | DE | HB 537 | Crop Damage Levels | Bill Passed - House (21 - 18) |
| May 25, 2006 | SC | S 229 | Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting | Bill Passed - House (78 - 15) |
| April 7, 2006 | MD | HB 853 | Prohibiting Dredging for Oysters & Clams in Atlantic Coastal Bays | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | NH | HB 1269 | Red Deer or Elk Farming and Hunting | Bill Passed - House (217 - 98) |
| Feb. 3, 2006 | MS | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
| Sept. 29, 2005 | National | H Amdt 588 | Endangered Species Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 216) |
| Sept. 29, 2005 | National | HR 3824 | Endangered Species Reauthorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| July 17, 2002 | National | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| June 8, 1999 | National | H Amdt 140 | Lethal Predator Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 230) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| May 7, 1997 | National | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| Jan. 4, 1996 | National | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
| Dec. 13, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| July 18, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| July 12, 1994 | National | H Amdt 725 | East Mojave National Preserve Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183) |
| July 15, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/02 | HB 1004 | Legalizing the Killing of Threatening Mountain Lions | Bill Passed - House (37 - 32) |
| 1/20 | HB 62 | Mandatory Trapper Education Course | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 5/05 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| 3/31 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| 3/26 | HB 256 | Relaxing Predator Control Standards | Bill Passed - House (25 - 12) |
| 3/20 | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| 3/05 | SB 373 | Reclassification of Streams | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| 3/04 | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (62 - 6) |
| 2/21 | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| 2/21 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| 2/19 | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 29) |
| 2/11 | HB 1171 | Hunting Mountain Lions | Bill Failed - House (26 - 42) |
| 1/28 | HB 301 | Increasing Dogfighting Penalties | Bill Passed - House (165 - 6) |
| 6/28 | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| 6/06 | AB 1634 | California Healthy Pets Act | Bill Passed - House (41 - 38) |
| 5/24 | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| 5/23 | LD 1635 | Recreational Bear Trapping Ban | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60) |
| 3/29 | HB 343 | Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - House (63 - 37) |
| 3/27 | HB 923 | Dog Racing Prohibition | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138) |
| 2/07 | HB 213 | Gray Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - House (52 - 8) |
| 9/07 | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| 8/31 | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| 7/08 | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| 6/28 | HB 537 | Crop Damage Levels | Bill Passed - House (21 - 18) |
| 5/25 | S 229 | Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting | Bill Passed - House (78 - 15) |
| 4/07 | HB 853 | Prohibiting Dredging for Oysters & Clams in Atlantic Coastal Bays | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| 2/22 | HB 1269 | Red Deer or Elk Farming and Hunting | Bill Passed - House (217 - 98) |
| 2/03 | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
| 9/29 | H Amdt 588 | Endangered Species Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 216) |
| 9/29 | HR 3824 | Endangered Species Reauthorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| 7/17 | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| 6/08 | H Amdt 140 | Lethal Predator Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 230) |
| 7/23 | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| 5/07 | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| 6/12 | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| 1/04 | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
| 12/13 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| 7/18 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 725 | East Mojave National Preserve Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183) |
| 7/15 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |