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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 12, 2012 | RI | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| June 12, 2012 | DE | HB 333 | Authorizes Online Gambling | Bill Passed - House (29 - 8) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7782 | Regulates Auto Insurance Company Claims and Practices | Bill Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| June 7, 2012 | National | HR 436 | Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices | Bill Passed - House (270 - 146) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
| June 6, 2012 | PA | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
| June 5, 2012 | MA | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| June 5, 2012 | NC | SB 582 | Expands Casino Gambling | Bill Passed - House (68 - 49) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1534 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 24, 2012 | NJ | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| May 23, 2012 | IL | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
| May 22, 2012 | OH | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| May 15, 2012 | OH | HB 99 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/12 | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| 6/12 | HB 333 | Authorizes Online Gambling | Bill Passed - House (29 - 8) |
| 6/11 | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| 6/11 | H 7782 | Regulates Auto Insurance Company Claims and Practices | Bill Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| 6/07 | HR 436 | Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices | Bill Passed - House (270 - 146) |
| 6/06 | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| 6/06 | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74) |
| 6/06 | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
| 6/06 | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
| 6/05 | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| 6/05 | SB 582 | Expands Casino Gambling | Bill Passed - House (68 - 49) |
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| 5/31 | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| 5/29 | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 5/29 | AB 1534 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/25 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| 5/24 | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| 5/23 | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
| 5/22 | HB 322 | Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| 5/18 | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| 5/17 | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| 5/15 | HB 99 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 12) |