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 23, 2012 | ID | H 619 | Prohibits Speed Limit Regulation by Local Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| March 21, 2012 | AZ | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| March 20, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (53 - 17) |
| March 20, 2012 | KY | SB 89 | Requires Seat Belts in Passenger Vans | Bill Passed - House (61 - 33) |
| March 15, 2012 | ID | H 619 | Prohibits Speed Limit Regulation by Local Authorities | Bill Passed - House (56 - 10) |
| March 15, 2012 | ID | H 542 | Prohibits the State from Limiting the Use of Motorized Vehicles on Public Land | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| March 15, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| March 14, 2012 | MD | SB 559 | Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| March 12, 2012 | ME | LD 1603 | Authorizes State Employees to Keep Concealed Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| March 5, 2012 | WA | SB 6455 | Increases Transportation Fees | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| March 5, 2012 | AZ | HB 2125 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (45 - 15) |
| March 2, 2012 | UT | HB 298 | Amends Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Regulations | Bill Passed - House (52 - 18) |
| March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2154 | Requires Car Seats for Certain Children | Bill Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | AZ | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - House (34 - 20) |
| Feb. 24, 2012 | UT | HB 104 | Prohibits Local Ordinances Against Idling Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | UT | HB 140 | Prohibits Traffic Checkpoints | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| Feb. 21, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | FL | HB 7087 | Increases Certain Business Tax Credits and Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 22) |
| Feb. 13, 2012 | NM | SB 235 | Restricting Driver's Licenses for Foreign Nationals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| Feb. 8, 2012 | NM | HB 103 | Increasing Regulation of Driver's Licenses Issued to Foreign Nationals | Bill Passed - House (45 - 25) |
| Feb. 7, 2012 | UT | SB 128 | Prohibits Minors from Using Cell Phones while Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
| Feb. 3, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (248 - 169) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | CA | SB 81 | Funding For School Transportation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Jan. 5, 2012 | NH | HB 194 | Authorizes Loaded Rifles and Shotguns in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (204 - 110) |
| Jan. 5, 2012 | NH | HB 628 | Recording and Tracking Complaints of Abuse by Transportation Security Agents | Bill Passed - House (188 - 136) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | NC | HB 645 | Temporary Fuel Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (94 - 23) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1786 | Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | MI | SB 291 | Repeals Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| Oct. 25, 2011 | PA | SB 595 | Authorizes the Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | AB 1424 | Suspending the Licenses of Delinquent Taxpayers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | CA | AB 1424 | Suspending the Licenses of Delinquent Taxpayers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Sept. 2, 2011 | CA | AB 353 | DUI Inspection Checkpoints and Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 12) |
| Aug. 30, 2011 | CA | AB 353 | DUI Inspection Checkpoints and Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| July 20, 2011 | National | HR 2553 | Airport and Airway Extension Act | Bill Passed - House (243 - 177) |
| June 30, 2011 | DE | HB 95 | Motorcycle Helmet Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (28 - 11) |
| June 29, 2011 | TX | SB 29 | Restricts Certain Types of Touching During Searches by Government Officials | Motion Rejected - House (96 - 26) |
| June 27, 2011 | TX | SB 29 | Restricts Certain Types of Touching During Searches by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| June 24, 2011 | NY | A 8496 | Increases The Number Of Taxicabs Serving New York | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| June 23, 2011 | DE | HB 95 | Motorcycle Helmet Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| June 15, 2011 | NY | S 5596 | Revising The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| June 9, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 406 | Transportation Security Administration Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 204) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 398 | Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205) |
| May 30, 2011 | NV | SB 140 | Prohibiting the Use of Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |