Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 8, 2013 ND HB 1305 Prohibits Sex and Genetic Selective Abortions Bill Passed - House (64 - 27)
Feb. 7, 2013 MT HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
Feb. 7, 2013 ND SB 2305 Requires Physicians Performing Abortions to Have a State License Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
Feb. 4, 2013 AR HB 1100 Prohibits Abortion Coverage on the State Health Insurance Exchange Bill Passed - House (77 - 15)
Feb. 4, 2013 AR HB 1037 Prohibits Abortions After 20 Weeks Bill Passed - House (75 - 20)
Jan. 31, 2013 AR SB 134 Prohibits an Abortion if a Fetal Heartbeat is Detected Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
Dec. 14, 2012 MI HB 5711 Increases Requirements on Facilities that Provide Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
Dec. 14, 2012 MI HB 5711 Increases Requirements on Facilities that Provide Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 35)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2348 Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 28)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 2348 Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
July 31, 2012 National HR 3803 District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Bill Failed - House (220 - 154)
June 27, 2012 NH HB 1679 Prohibits Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
June 27, 2012 NH HB 1679 Prohibits Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 118)
June 27, 2012 NH HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Veto Override Failed - House (201 - 126)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
June 7, 2012 National HR 5855 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 Bill Passed - House (234 - 182)
May 31, 2012 LA SB 708 Amends Abortion Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 National HR 3541 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012 Bill Failed - House (246 - 168)
May 30, 2012 NH HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (210 - 108)
May 16, 2012 NH HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6)
May 8, 2012 AL SB 10 Prohibits Insurance from Providing Coverage for Abortions Bill Passed - House (76 - 28)
May 7, 2012 KS SB 313 Prohibits Certain Abortion-Related Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (88 - 31)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/08 HB 1305 Prohibits Sex and Genetic Selective Abortions Bill Passed - House (64 - 27)
2/07 HB 239 Requires Parental Consent for Sex Education Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
2/07 SB 2305 Requires Physicians Performing Abortions to Have a State License Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
2/04 HB 1100 Prohibits Abortion Coverage on the State Health Insurance Exchange Bill Passed - House (77 - 15)
2/04 HB 1037 Prohibits Abortions After 20 Weeks Bill Passed - House (75 - 20)
1/31 SB 134 Prohibits an Abortion if a Fetal Heartbeat is Detected Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
12/14 HB 5711 Increases Requirements on Facilities that Provide Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
12/14 HB 5711 Increases Requirements on Facilities that Provide Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 35)
8/27 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
8/27 AB 2348 Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 28)
8/22 AB 2348 Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
8/22 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
7/31 HR 3803 District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Bill Failed - House (220 - 154)
6/27 HB 1679 Prohibits Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
6/27 HB 1679 Prohibits Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 118)
6/27 HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Veto Override Failed - House (201 - 126)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
6/07 HR 5855 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 Bill Passed - House (234 - 182)
5/31 SB 708 Amends Abortion Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 HR 3541 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012 Bill Failed - House (246 - 168)
5/30 HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (210 - 108)
5/16 HB 217 Prohibits Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6)
5/08 SB 10 Prohibits Insurance from Providing Coverage for Abortions Bill Passed - House (76 - 28)
5/07 SB 313 Prohibits Certain Abortion-Related Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (88 - 31)

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