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
Jan. 31, 2011 AR HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Failed - House (46 - 47)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
Aug. 30, 2010 CA SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)
Aug. 27, 2010 CA SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9)
Aug. 26, 2010 CA SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 10, 2010 National HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161)
Aug. 5, 2010 National HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39)
April 29, 2010 AZ HB 2281 Ethnic Studies Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (32 - 26)
April 28, 2010 AZ HB 2281 Ethnic Studies Ban Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
April 21, 2010 AL HB 105 Required Physical Education Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 7)
April 14, 2010 AL HB 105 Required Physical Education Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 8)
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)
July 19, 2007 National HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - House (276 - 140)
July 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4689 Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Dec. 14, 2005 National HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213)
Dec. 8, 2005 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (234 - 197)
Nov. 17, 2005 National HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224)
Oct. 27, 2005 National S Amdt 2287 After School Funding Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56)
Oct. 27, 2005 National HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2292 Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2275 Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/31 HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Failed - House (46 - 47)
8/31 SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
8/31 SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
8/31 SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
8/30 SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)
8/27 SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9)
8/26 SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/10 HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161)
8/05 HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39)
4/29 HB 2281 Ethnic Studies Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (32 - 26)
4/28 HB 2281 Ethnic Studies Ban Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
4/21 HB 105 Required Physical Education Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 7)
4/14 HB 105 Required Physical Education Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 8)
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)
7/19 HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - House (276 - 140)
7/25 S Amdt 4689 Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
12/14 HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213)
12/08 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (234 - 197)
11/17 HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224)
10/27 S Amdt 2287 After School Funding Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56)
10/27 HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
10/26 S Amdt 2292 Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
10/26 S Amdt 2275 Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51)

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