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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| Oct. 30, 2013 | National | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| Oct. 29, 2013 | National | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | MO | HB 253 | Authorizes Income Tax Cuts | Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 67) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | CA | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 1, 2013 | National | HR 2879 | Stop Government Abuse Act | Bill Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| July 25, 2013 | NC | HB 938 | Amends Wetland Permit Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| July 25, 2013 | National | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 22) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 41) |
| July 18, 2013 | NC | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| July 16, 2013 | NC | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 39) |
| July 2, 2013 | OR | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | S 2723 | Amends Firearms Identification Card Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | ACR 199 | Specifies that the Proposed Job Banding Rule is Not Consistent with Legislative Intent | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/07 | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 11/07 | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 11/04 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| 11/04 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| 10/30 | HR 992 | Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act | Bill Passed - House (292 - 122) |
| 10/29 | HR 2374 | Retail Investor Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 166) |
| 9/12 | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| 9/12 | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| 9/12 | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| 9/12 | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 9/12 | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 9/11 | HB 253 | Authorizes Income Tax Cuts | Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 67) |
| 9/11 | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 8/01 | HR 2879 | Stop Government Abuse Act | Bill Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| 7/25 | HB 938 | Amends Wetland Permit Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| 7/25 | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| 7/23 | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| 7/23 | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 7/23 | SB 337 | Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 22) |
| 7/23 | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 41) |
| 7/18 | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 7/16 | SB 81 | Establishes the Charlotte International Airport Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 39) |
| 7/02 | HB 2456 | Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| 6/27 | S 2723 | Amends Firearms Identification Card Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 6/27 | ACR 199 | Specifies that the Proposed Job Banding Rule is Not Consistent with Legislative Intent | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |