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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |