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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 29, 2009 | PA | HB 1 | Expanding Health Insurance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 96) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| June 24, 2009 | MI | HB 4436 | 2009-2010 Department of Community Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| June 23, 2009 | MI | HB 4441 | 2009-2010 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| June 22, 2009 | CA | AB 761 | Mobile Home Rent Control | Bill Failed - House (38 - 27) |
| June 19, 2009 | CT | SB 2001 | Employment and Training Funds for Disadvantaged Workers | Bill Passed - House (97 - 32) |
| June 18, 2009 | NJ | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| June 18, 2009 | MI | SB 248 | 2010 Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| June 8, 2009 | LA | HB 316 | Property Tax Exemption | Joint Resolution Failed - House (30 - 63) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | SB 1918 | Low-Income Energy Assistance | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 11) |
| May 30, 2009 | CT | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 20, 2009 | CT | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 35) |
| May 15, 2009 | TX | HB 2962 | Childrens' Health Care | Bill Passed - House (87 - 55) |
| May 6, 2009 | MI | HB 4786 | Part-Time Work Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| May 5, 2009 | CO | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| April 29, 2009 | FL | Amdt 337171 | Expanding Unemployment Benefits Eligibility | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 71) |
| April 28, 2009 | CO | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 22, 2009 | WA | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 11, 2009 | WV | SB 246 | Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 29) |
| April 10, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| March 26, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - House (94 - 43) |
| March 25, 2009 | KS | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| March 9, 2009 | WA | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (84 - 10) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | HB 171 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (50 - 23) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 225 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| March 5, 2009 | ID | S 1119 | Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| March 3, 2009 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | OR | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | OR | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - House (44 - 15) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 1686 | Reducing the Cap on Vacated Apartment Rent Increases | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 43) |
| Dec. 19, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
| Dec. 10, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
| Oct. 3, 2008 | National | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| Aug. 18, 2008 | NM | SB 22 | Subsidizing Children's Health Care | Bill Passed - House (47 - 19) |
| Aug. 18, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| Aug. 16, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/29 | HB 1 | Expanding Health Insurance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 96) |
| 6/25 | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| 6/24 | HB 4436 | 2009-2010 Department of Community Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 6/23 | HB 4441 | 2009-2010 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| 6/22 | AB 761 | Mobile Home Rent Control | Bill Failed - House (38 - 27) |
| 6/19 | SB 2001 | Employment and Training Funds for Disadvantaged Workers | Bill Passed - House (97 - 32) |
| 6/18 | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| 6/18 | SB 248 | 2010 Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 6/08 | HB 316 | Property Tax Exemption | Joint Resolution Failed - House (30 - 63) |
| 5/31 | SB 1918 | Low-Income Energy Assistance | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 11) |
| 5/30 | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/20 | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 35) |
| 5/15 | HB 2962 | Childrens' Health Care | Bill Passed - House (87 - 55) |
| 5/06 | HB 4786 | Part-Time Work Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| 5/05 | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| 4/29 | Amdt 337171 | Expanding Unemployment Benefits Eligibility | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 71) |
| 4/28 | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/22 | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/11 | SB 246 | Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 29) |
| 4/10 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 3/26 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - House (94 - 43) |
| 3/25 | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 3/09 | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (84 - 10) |
| 3/09 | HB 171 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (50 - 23) |
| 3/09 | SB 225 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| 3/05 | S 1119 | Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 3/03 | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| 2/26 | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 2/25 | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| 2/17 | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - House (44 - 15) |
| 2/02 | A 1686 | Reducing the Cap on Vacated Apartment Rent Increases | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 43) |
| 12/19 | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
| 12/10 | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 11/24 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 11/17 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 11/17 | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
| 10/03 | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
| 8/31 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/29 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| 8/29 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| 8/19 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| 8/19 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 8/18 | SB 22 | Subsidizing Children's Health Care | Bill Passed - House (47 - 19) |
| 8/18 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 8/16 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |