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. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 24, 2012 | GA | SB 447 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | VA | SB 6 | Requires Drug Tests for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Dec. 17, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | MI | SB 806 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Aug. 31, 2011 | CA | AB 6 | Repeals Fingerprinting Requirement for CalFresh Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| July 13, 2011 | MI | HB 4410 | Amending the Jet Program of the Social Welfare Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| July 13, 2011 | MI | HB 4409 | Amending the Social Welfare Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| June 30, 2011 | PA | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 21, 2011 | LA | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| May 6, 2011 | FL | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| April 28, 2011 | MO | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| April 21, 2011 | TN | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 20, 2011 | IA | SF 525 | Revises the Iowa Mental Health System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| April 19, 2011 | IN | HB 1210 | Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| April 14, 2011 | NC | HB 383 | Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 5, 2011 | AZ | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| March 28, 2011 | ID | H 260 | Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| March 23, 2011 | MI | HB 4408 | Employment Compensation Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| March 2, 2011 | KY | HB 305 | 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| March 1, 2011 | SC | S 434 | Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | WY | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| July 20, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |
| April 21, 2010 | GA | HB 1198 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| April 15, 2010 | National | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38) |
| March 22, 2010 | WA | HB 2782 | Limiting Disability Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 16) |
| March 10, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| Feb. 13, 2010 | NM | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | CA | SB 810 | Statewide Single Payer Health Care System | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Oct. 27, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| July 20, 2009 | CT | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 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 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 10, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/27 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 2/24 | SB 447 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| 2/14 | SB 6 | Requires Drug Tests for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 12/17 | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| 12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| 12/01 | SB 806 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 8/31 | AB 6 | Repeals Fingerprinting Requirement for CalFresh Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 7/13 | HB 4410 | Amending the Jet Program of the Social Welfare Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 7/13 | HB 4409 | Amending the Social Welfare Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 6/30 | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/21 | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 5/06 | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 4/28 | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 4/21 | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/20 | SF 525 | Revises the Iowa Mental Health System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 4/19 | HB 1210 | Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| 4/14 | HB 383 | Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/05 | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 3/28 | H 260 | Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 3/23 | HB 4408 | Employment Compensation Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 3/02 | HB 305 | 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 3/01 | S 434 | Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 1/28 | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| 7/21 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 7/20 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |
| 4/21 | HB 1198 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 4/15 | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38) |
| 3/22 | HB 2782 | Limiting Disability Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 16) |
| 3/10 | HR 4213 | Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 2/13 | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| 1/28 | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/28 | SB 810 | Statewide Single Payer Health Care System | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 12/22 | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 10/27 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 7/20 | HB 6600 | SustiNet Health Insurance Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 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) |
| 6/18 | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| 6/18 | SB 248 | 2010 Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 4/10 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 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) |