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 20, 2015 | NM | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - House (54 - 12) |
| March 2, 2015 | NM | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| May 23, 2014 | OK | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 8) |
| May 22, 2014 | OK | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 9) |
| May 9, 2014 | National | HR 4438 | American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (274 - 131) |
| May 2, 2014 | MN | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 20) |
| May 1, 2014 | MN | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Bill Passed - House (69 - 58) |
| April 24, 2014 | OK | SB 1848 | Prohibits Nontherapeutic Research on Human Embryos and Establishes Standards for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - House (75 - 15) |
| April 23, 2014 | MN | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| March 12, 2014 | OK | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| March 5, 2014 | OK | HB 2638 | Requires an Individual Arrested for Certain Crimes to Submit DNA | Bill Failed - House (35 - 51) |
| Feb. 25, 2014 | OK | HB 2070 | Prohibits Certain Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (73 - 14) |
| Dec. 11, 2013 | National | HR 2019 | Kids First Research Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (295 - 103) |
| April 5, 2013 | KS | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 8) |
| April 5, 2013 | KS | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - House (90 - 30) |
| March 26, 2013 | KS | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Bill Passed - House (90 - 32) |
| March 25, 2013 | SD | SB 115 | Increases Commercial Fertilizer Inspection Fee | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| May 21, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| March 29, 2012 | MO | HB 1541 | Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. | Bill Passed - House (113 - 41) |
| March 26, 2012 | TN | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| March 19, 2012 | TN | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/20 | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - House (54 - 12) |
| 3/02 | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| 5/23 | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 8) |
| 5/22 | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 9) |
| 5/09 | HR 4438 | American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (274 - 131) |
| 5/02 | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 20) |
| 5/01 | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Bill Passed - House (69 - 58) |
| 4/24 | SB 1848 | Prohibits Nontherapeutic Research on Human Embryos and Establishes Standards for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - House (75 - 15) |
| 4/23 | SF 2047 | Authorizes State to Store Infant Blood Samples | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 3/12 | SB 1848 | Amends Standards for Abortion Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| 3/05 | HB 2638 | Requires an Individual Arrested for Certain Crimes to Submit DNA | Bill Failed - House (35 - 51) |
| 2/25 | HB 2070 | Prohibits Certain Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (73 - 14) |
| 12/11 | HR 2019 | Kids First Research Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (295 - 103) |
| 4/05 | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 4/05 | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Conference Report Adopted - House (90 - 30) |
| 3/26 | SB 199 | Establishes the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center | Bill Passed - House (90 - 32) |
| 3/25 | SB 115 | Increases Commercial Fertilizer Inspection Fee | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 11/30 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| 9/20 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| 8/27 | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 8/22 | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 5/21 | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 3/29 | HB 1541 | Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. | Bill Passed - House (113 - 41) |
| 3/26 | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| 3/19 | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |