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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 22, 2010 | CO | HB 1021 | Health Insurance Policy Coverage For Reproductive Services | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
| April 22, 2010 | LA | HB 1247 | Prohibiting Insurance Coverage of Elective Abortions | Bill Passed - House (76 - 13) |
| April 12, 2010 | NE | LB 1103 | Prohibiting Abortions After 20 Weeks of Pregnancy | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| April 12, 2010 | NE | LB 594 | Abortion Screening Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| March 30, 2010 | KS | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 36) |
| March 30, 2010 | KS | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| March 26, 2010 | GA | SB 529 | Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | UT | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NM | SB 148 | Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation | Bill Passed - House (50 - 17) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NH | HB 1644 | Expanding Homicide to Include "Unborn Child" | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (219 - 122) |
| Feb. 15, 2010 | WA | HB 2793 | Legalizing Paid Surrogacy | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | NM | SB 148 | Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Jan. 29, 2010 | UT | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | CA | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | CA | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | AB 119 | Prohibiting Gender-Based Health Insurance Pricing | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| Sept. 1, 2009 | CA | AB 119 | Prohibiting Gender-Based Health Insurance Pricing | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| July 6, 2009 | NC | SB 870 | Making General Statutes Gender Neutral | Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33) |
| July 1, 2009 | AZ | SB 1175 | Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| June 29, 2009 | AZ | SB 1175 | Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (35 - 19) |
| June 4, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 17) |
| June 3, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| May 21, 2009 | LA | HB 705 | Equal Pay for Women | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| May 20, 2009 | NY | S 1290 | Anti-Shackling Bill | Bill Passed - House (119 - 21) |
| May 18, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 29, 2009 | WI | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - House (51 - 47) |
| April 28, 2009 | MO | Amdt 1 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse to Provide "Abortifacients" | Amendment Adopted - House (115 - 43) |
| April 28, 2009 | WI | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| April 3, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| April 2, 2009 | AK | HB 35 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (22 - 14) |
| March 24, 2009 | NH | HB 531 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortion | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 18, 2009 | IA | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | AZ | HB 2564 | Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (36 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | AZ | HB 2400 | Specifying Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (37 - 19) |
| March 2, 2009 | KY | SB 79 | Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | SC | H 3245 | 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/22 | HB 1021 | Health Insurance Policy Coverage For Reproductive Services | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 4/22 | HB 1247 | Prohibiting Insurance Coverage of Elective Abortions | Bill Passed - House (76 - 13) |
| 4/12 | LB 1103 | Prohibiting Abortions After 20 Weeks of Pregnancy | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| 4/12 | LB 594 | Abortion Screening Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 3/30 | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 36) |
| 3/30 | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 3/26 | SB 529 | Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 2/18 | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| 2/17 | SB 148 | Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation | Bill Passed - House (50 - 17) |
| 2/17 | HB 1644 | Expanding Homicide to Include "Unborn Child" | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (219 - 122) |
| 2/15 | HB 2793 | Legalizing Paid Surrogacy | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 2/10 | SB 148 | Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 1/29 | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 12) |
| 1/28 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 12/22 | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 9/10 | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| 9/10 | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| 9/09 | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 9/09 | AB 98 | Required Maternity Services Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 9/03 | AB 119 | Prohibiting Gender-Based Health Insurance Pricing | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| 9/01 | AB 119 | Prohibiting Gender-Based Health Insurance Pricing | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 7/06 | SB 870 | Making General Statutes Gender Neutral | Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33) |
| 7/01 | SB 1175 | Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| 6/29 | SB 1175 | Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (35 - 19) |
| 6/04 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 17) |
| 6/03 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 5/21 | HB 705 | Equal Pay for Women | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| 5/20 | S 1290 | Anti-Shackling Bill | Bill Passed - House (119 - 21) |
| 5/18 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/29 | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - House (51 - 47) |
| 4/28 | Amdt 1 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse to Provide "Abortifacients" | Amendment Adopted - House (115 - 43) |
| 4/28 | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/15 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 4/14 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| 4/03 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| 4/02 | HB 35 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (22 - 14) |
| 3/24 | HB 531 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortion | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/18 | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | HB 2564 | Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (36 - 19) |
| 3/11 | HB 2400 | Specifying Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (37 - 19) |
| 3/02 | SB 79 | Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 2/26 | H 3245 | 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 24) |