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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2012 | MD | HB 443 | Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - House (94 - 44) |
| March 23, 2012 | ID | SJM 104 | Urging Congress to Repeal Insurance Coverage of Contraception | Joint Resolution Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| March 13, 2012 | WI | SB 92 | Prohibits Abortion Coverage through Healthcare Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
| March 10, 2012 | WV | HB 4486 | Requires Insurance Policy Disclosure When a Claim is Filed | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 33) |
| March 10, 2012 | WV | HB 4486 | Requires Insurance Policy Disclosure When a Claim is Filed | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 119 | Amends Personal Injury Protection Insurance Requirements and Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 119 | Amends Personal Injury Protection Insurance Requirements and Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 34) |
| March 8, 2012 | UT | SB 208 | Interstate Health Care Compact | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 7) |
| March 8, 2012 | UT | SB 208 | Interstate Health Care Compact | Conference Report Adopted - House (45 - 27) |
| March 7, 2012 | NH | HB 1546 | Authorizes Employers to Not Provide Contraception Coverage in Health Insurance Plans | Bill Passed - House (196 - 150) |
| March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 460 | Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 438 | Prohibits State Employee Insurance Coverage of Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 18) |
| March 5, 2012 | OR | HB 4164 | Implementing the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| March 3, 2012 | WA | HB 2319 | Requirements for Health Benefit Exchange | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| March 2, 2012 | OR | HB 4164 | Implementing the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (55 - 5) |
| March 1, 2012 | WA | HB 2319 | Requirements for Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| March 1, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
| March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - House (39 - 18) |
| Feb. 28, 2012 | WY | HJR 7 | Requests the President to Repeal the Rule Requiring Coverage of Contraception | Joint Resolution Passed - House (40 - 17) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | WV | HB 4486 | Requires Insurance Policy Disclosure When a Claim is Filed | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| Feb. 24, 2012 | VT | H 559 | Establishes a Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - House (88 - 38) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | KS | HCR 5007 | Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | OR | SB 1580 | Amends State Health Plan | Bill Passed - House (53 - 7) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | ID | HJM 10 | Urges Congress to Pass Rights of Conscience Act | Joint Resolution Passed - House (53 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2012 | NH | HR 29 | Urges Repeal of Rule Requiring Health Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives | Resolution Passed - House (227 - 121) |