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. 14, 2008 | UT | SB 149 | Expanding Minimum Automotive Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | KS | HB 2617 | Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents | Bill Passed - House (117 - 5) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | KY | HB 55 | Booster Seat Requirement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | WA | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - House (80 - 17) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | OR | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | UT | HB 239 | Driver's License Requirements | Bill Passed - House (39 - 35) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MI | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | NM | HB 400 | Commuter Train Funding | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | ID | H 366 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (47 - 21) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | NH | HB 847 | Speed Limitations for Vessels Operating on Water | Bill Passed - House (236 - 111) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CO | HB 1069 | Prohibiting Motor Vehicles on Public Lands | Bill Passed - House (43 - 22) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | MA | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | NE | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (86 - 8) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Dec. 6, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (235 - 181) |
| Nov. 28, 2007 | IL | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| Nov. 14, 2007 | National | HR 3074 | Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 147) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| Nov. 6, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 240 | 2007-2008 Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 21) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | HI | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - House (39 - 11) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | National | S 294 | Amtrak Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 22) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | HI | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| Oct. 26, 2007 | HI | HFA 1 | Expanding Superferry Environmental Restrictions | Amendment Rejected - House (11 - 35) |
| Oct. 26, 2007 | HI | HB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - House (37 - 9) |
| Oct. 25, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3453 | Amtrak Federal Subsidy Limits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 66) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | WI | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | WI | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Oct. 22, 2007 | NY | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| Oct. 18, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Oct. 15, 2007 | WI | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MI | Sub HB 4920 | Expanding Drunk Driving Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 16) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MI | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| Oct. 10, 2007 | IL | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| Oct. 2, 2007 | IL | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Sept. 10, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2792 | Bridge Repair Funding | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 27, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| Aug. 23, 2007 | MO | HB 2 | Extended Transportation Projects Contract | Bill Passed - House (135 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14 | SB 149 | Expanding Minimum Automotive Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 2/14 | HB 2617 | Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents | Bill Passed - House (117 - 5) |
| 2/14 | HB 55 | Booster Seat Requirement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/12 | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - House (80 - 17) |
| 2/11 | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 2/11 | HB 239 | Driver's License Requirements | Bill Passed - House (39 - 35) |
| 2/07 | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| 2/06 | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 2/06 | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| 2/05 | HB 400 | Commuter Train Funding | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| 2/04 | H 366 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (47 - 21) |
| 1/30 | HB 847 | Speed Limitations for Vessels Operating on Water | Bill Passed - House (236 - 111) |
| 1/30 | HB 1069 | Prohibiting Motor Vehicles on Public Lands | Bill Passed - House (43 - 22) |
| 1/23 | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| 1/15 | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 12/18 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100) |
| 12/13 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (86 - 8) |
| 12/13 | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 12/06 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (235 - 181) |
| 11/28 | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| 11/14 | HR 3074 | Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 147) |
| 11/08 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| 11/06 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
| 10/31 | H Sub for Sub SB 240 | 2007-2008 Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 21) |
| 10/31 | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - House (39 - 11) |
| 10/30 | S 294 | Amtrak Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 22) |
| 10/29 | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| 10/26 | HFA 1 | Expanding Superferry Environmental Restrictions | Amendment Rejected - House (11 - 35) |
| 10/26 | HB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - House (37 - 9) |
| 10/25 | S Amdt 3453 | Amtrak Federal Subsidy Limits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 66) |
| 10/23 | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39) |
| 10/23 | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 10/22 | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| 10/18 | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 10/15 | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 10/11 | Sub HB 4920 | Expanding Drunk Driving Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 16) |
| 10/11 | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| 10/10 | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| 10/02 | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 9/10 | S Amdt 2792 | Bridge Repair Funding | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33) |
| 8/30 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/27 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| 8/23 | HB 2 | Extended Transportation Projects Contract | Bill Passed - House (135 - 14) |