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
June 27, 2011 PA SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
June 23, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
June 21, 2011 PA SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
April 20, 2011 NC SB 33 Medical Malpractice Amendments Bill Passed - House (91 - 27)
April 14, 2011 GA HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 3)
April 11, 2011 PA HB 1 Comparative Negligence Provisions Bill Passed - House (112 - 88)
April 8, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65)
April 5, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
March 8, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - House (74 - 66)
March 2, 2011 WV HB 2732 Increased Fees for Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
March 2, 2011 NC SB 33 Medical Malpractice Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
Feb. 28, 2011 GA HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - House (162 - 5)
Feb. 23, 2011 OK SB 863 Compensation for Non-Economic Damages Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
Feb. 22, 2011 WY HB 39 Funding for Lawsuit Against Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 19)
Feb. 22, 2011 UT SB 96 Alimony Amendments Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17)
Feb. 17, 2011 SD HB 1171 Fetus Protection Bill Bill Tabled - House (61 - 4)
Feb. 7, 2011 WY HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
Feb. 3, 2011 VA SB 831 Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Dec. 17, 2010 National HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
Nov. 17, 2010 National HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
Nov. 17, 2010 National S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
Aug. 24, 2010 CA SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole Bill Failed - House (34 - 38)
July 30, 2010 National HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
July 21, 2010 National HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
June 3, 2010 CA SB 1113 Income Tax Appeal Modifications Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/27 SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
6/23 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
6/21 SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
4/20 SB 33 Medical Malpractice Amendments Bill Passed - House (91 - 27)
4/14 HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 3)
4/11 HB 1 Comparative Negligence Provisions Bill Passed - House (112 - 88)
4/08 HB 302 Parole Approval Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65)
4/05 HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
3/08 HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - House (74 - 66)
3/02 HB 2732 Increased Fees for Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
3/02 SB 33 Medical Malpractice Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
2/28 HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - House (162 - 5)
2/23 SB 863 Compensation for Non-Economic Damages Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
2/22 HB 39 Funding for Lawsuit Against Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 19)
2/22 SB 96 Alimony Amendments Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17)
2/17 HB 1171 Fetus Protection Bill Bill Tabled - House (61 - 4)
2/07 HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
2/03 SB 831 Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
12/17 HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
11/17 HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
11/17 S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
8/24 SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole Bill Failed - House (34 - 38)
7/30 HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
7/21 HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
6/03 SB 1113 Income Tax Appeal Modifications Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)

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