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 29, 2009 | National | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| April 28, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending Health Benefits to Domestic Partners of State Employees | Bill Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| April 23, 2009 | AL | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| April 23, 2009 | MN | SF 2082 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (69 - 62) |
| April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| April 15, 2009 | WA | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - House (62 - 35) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (94 - 38) |
| April 8, 2009 | NH | HB 415 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (188 - 187) |
| April 7, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49) |
| April 3, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Failed - House (34 - 54) |
| April 3, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (94 - 52) |
| March 26, 2009 | NH | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (186 - 179) |
| March 2, 2009 | CA | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | SB 800 | Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (119 - 36) |
| June 5, 2008 | CA | SB 153 | Property Transfer | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| May 19, 2008 | CA | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 6, 2008 | AL | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| April 29, 2008 | LA | HB 674 | Anti-Bullying Bill | Bill Failed - House (28 - 63) |
| April 4, 2008 | MD | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| April 4, 2008 | MD | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (88 - 46) |
| March 5, 2008 | UT | SB 299 | Domestic Partnership Benefits | Bill Passed - House (61 - 9) |
| Feb. 15, 2008 | WA | HB 3104 | Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 624 | Disclosing Organizational Diversity | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| Jan. 24, 2008 | NM | HB 9 | Allowing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - House (33 - 31) |
| Nov. 7, 2007 | National | HR 3685 | Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) | Bill Passed - House (235 - 184) |
| June 19, 2007 | NY | A 8590 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
| May 3, 2007 | National | HR 1592 | Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 180) |
| July 18, 2006 | National | H J Res 88 | Same-Sex Marriage Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (236 - 187) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| Nov. 1, 1995 | National | H Amdt 890 | Domestic Partners Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172) |
| March 24, 1994 | National | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | H Amdt 318 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (295 - 133) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |
| June 30, 1993 | National | H Amdt 188 | DC's Domestic Partners Ordinance | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 167) |
| Feb. 4, 1993 | National | H Res 71 | Agreeing to Family and Medical Leave Bill | Resolution Passed - House (247 - 152) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/29 | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| 4/28 | SB 88 | Extending Health Benefits to Domestic Partners of State Employees | Bill Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| 4/23 | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| 4/23 | SF 2082 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (69 - 62) |
| 4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| 4/15 | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - House (62 - 35) |
| 4/13 | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (94 - 38) |
| 4/08 | HB 415 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (188 - 187) |
| 4/07 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49) |
| 4/03 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Failed - House (34 - 54) |
| 4/03 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (94 - 52) |
| 3/26 | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (186 - 179) |
| 3/02 | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| 2/24 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| 2/12 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| 2/06 | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 8/07 | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| 7/29 | SB 800 | Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (119 - 36) |
| 6/05 | SB 153 | Property Transfer | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| 5/27 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| 5/19 | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 5/15 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/12 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/06 | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| 5/02 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| 4/29 | HB 674 | Anti-Bullying Bill | Bill Failed - House (28 - 63) |
| 4/04 | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| 4/04 | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (88 - 46) |
| 3/05 | SB 299 | Domestic Partnership Benefits | Bill Passed - House (61 - 9) |
| 2/15 | HB 3104 | Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| 1/29 | AB 624 | Disclosing Organizational Diversity | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| 1/24 | HB 9 | Allowing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - House (33 - 31) |
| 11/07 | HR 3685 | Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) | Bill Passed - House (235 - 184) |
| 6/19 | A 8590 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
| 5/03 | HR 1592 | Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 180) |
| 7/18 | H J Res 88 | Same-Sex Marriage Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (236 - 187) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| 7/12 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| 11/01 | H Amdt 890 | Domestic Partners Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172) |
| 3/24 | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| 9/29 | H Amdt 318 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (295 - 133) |
| 9/29 | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |
| 6/30 | H Amdt 188 | DC's Domestic Partners Ordinance | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 167) |
| 2/04 | H Res 71 | Agreeing to Family and Medical Leave Bill | Resolution Passed - House (247 - 152) |