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. 7, 2013 | IN | HB 1005 | Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid | Bill Passed - House (86 - 13) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |
| July 2, 2012 | CA | SB 900 | Establishes Regulations for Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| July 2, 2012 | CA | AB 278 | Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| June 6, 2012 | PA | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
| May 22, 2012 | OH | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| May 16, 2012 | OH | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| May 15, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| May 9, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 93) |
| May 1, 2012 | DE | HB 289 | Limits Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (26 - 7) |
| April 24, 2012 | IA | HF 2460 | Limits Tax Increment Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| March 20, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | FL | HB 213 | Amends Mortgage Foreclosure Process | Bill Passed - House (94 - 17) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |
| July 21, 2011 | National | HR 1315 | Oversight of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Bill Passed - House (241 - 173) |
| June 8, 2011 | National | S Amdt 392 | Debit Card Transactions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| June 2, 2011 | NC | HB 810 | Consumer Finance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| May 18, 2011 | NV | SB 75 | Investment in Private Equity Firms | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| April 28, 2011 | FL | SB 408 | Property and Casualty Insurance Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| March 11, 2011 | National | HR 836 | Terminating the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (242 - 177) |
| March 10, 2011 | National | HR 830 | Terminating the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program | Bill Passed - House (256 - 171) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | VA | SB 1367 | Motor Vehicle Title Loans for Non-Residents | Bill Passed - House (51 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/07 | HB 1005 | Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid | Bill Passed - House (86 - 13) |
| 7/25 | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |
| 7/02 | SB 900 | Establishes Regulations for Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 7/02 | AB 278 | Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 6/06 | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
| 5/22 | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| 5/16 | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 5/15 | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 5/09 | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 93) |
| 5/01 | HB 289 | Limits Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (26 - 7) |
| 4/24 | HF 2460 | Limits Tax Increment Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 2/29 | HB 213 | Amends Mortgage Foreclosure Process | Bill Passed - House (94 - 17) |
| 2/09 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
| 2/02 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| 11/03 | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |
| 7/21 | HR 1315 | Oversight of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Bill Passed - House (241 - 173) |
| 6/08 | S Amdt 392 | Debit Card Transactions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 6/02 | HB 810 | Consumer Finance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| 5/18 | SB 75 | Investment in Private Equity Firms | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| 4/28 | SB 408 | Property and Casualty Insurance Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 3/11 | HR 836 | Terminating the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (242 - 177) |
| 3/10 | HR 830 | Terminating the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program | Bill Passed - House (256 - 171) |
| 2/21 | SB 1367 | Motor Vehicle Title Loans for Non-Residents | Bill Passed - House (51 - 47) |