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
March 1, 2011 GA HB 326 Amends the HOPE Scholarship Program Bill Passed - House (152 - 22)
Feb. 28, 2011 UT HB 191 Nonresident Tuition Waiver Amendments Bill Passed - House (44 - 28)
Feb. 22, 2011 KS HB 2006 Prohibiting Undocumented Immigrants from Receiving In-State Tuition Rates Bill Passed - House (72 - 50)
Feb. 21, 2011 ND HB 1263 Athletic Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - House (65 - 28)
Feb. 18, 2011 National H Amdt 94 Prohibits Funds for the Gainful Employment Rule Amendment Adopted - House (289 - 136)
Feb. 17, 2011 ND HB 1385 Senior Citizens Attending Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - House (65 - 29)
Feb. 16, 2011 UT HB 75 Guns On School Premises Bill Passed - House (58 - 15)
Feb. 11, 2011 ND HB 1470 Higher Education Tuition Bill Failed - House (41 - 51)
Feb. 8, 2011 VA HB 2314 Education Improvement Scholarships Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
Feb. 8, 2011 VA HB 1465 Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities Bill Passed - House (75 - 24)
Feb. 3, 2011 VA SB 831 Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
Aug. 25, 2010 CA SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Aug. 23, 2010 CA SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Bill Passed - House (48 - 28)
June 2, 2010 CA SB 969 College Tuition Prices for Students Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
April 21, 2010 AL SB 162 PACT Funding and Tuition Restrictions Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 7)
April 21, 2010 AL SB 162 PACT Funding and Tuition Restrictions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 3)
March 25, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207)
March 25, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
March 21, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - House (220 - 211)
Sept. 17, 2009 National HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
April 29, 2009 National S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43)
April 29, 2009 National S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
Sept. 26, 2008 National HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/01 HB 326 Amends the HOPE Scholarship Program Bill Passed - House (152 - 22)
2/28 HB 191 Nonresident Tuition Waiver Amendments Bill Passed - House (44 - 28)
2/22 HB 2006 Prohibiting Undocumented Immigrants from Receiving In-State Tuition Rates Bill Passed - House (72 - 50)
2/21 HB 1263 Athletic Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - House (65 - 28)
2/18 H Amdt 94 Prohibits Funds for the Gainful Employment Rule Amendment Adopted - House (289 - 136)
2/17 HB 1385 Senior Citizens Attending Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - House (65 - 29)
2/16 HB 75 Guns On School Premises Bill Passed - House (58 - 15)
2/11 HB 1470 Higher Education Tuition Bill Failed - House (41 - 51)
2/08 HB 2314 Education Improvement Scholarships Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
2/08 HB 1465 Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities Bill Passed - House (75 - 24)
2/03 SB 831 Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
12/08 HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
8/25 SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
8/23 SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Bill Passed - House (48 - 28)
6/02 SB 969 College Tuition Prices for Students Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
4/21 SB 162 PACT Funding and Tuition Restrictions Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 7)
4/21 SB 162 PACT Funding and Tuition Restrictions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 3)
3/25 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207)
3/25 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
3/21 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - House (220 - 211)
9/17 HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
4/29 S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43)
4/29 S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
9/26 HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)

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