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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| 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) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | GA | HB 24 | Amending Rules of Evidence | Bill Passed - House (162 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| April 8, 2010 | AZ | HB 2650 | Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period | Bill Failed - House (27 - 28) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| May 20, 2008 | National | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Oct. 4, 2007 | National | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| May 22, 2007 | National | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (306 - 114) |
| May 22, 2007 | National | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| Sept. 27, 2006 | National | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 2679 | Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 173) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| March 7, 2006 | National | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/08 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| 3/08 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - House (74 - 66) |
| 3/02 | HB 2732 | Increased Fees for Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 2/28 | HB 24 | Amending Rules of Evidence | Bill Passed - House (162 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 4/08 | HB 2650 | Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period | Bill Failed - House (27 - 28) |
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 5/20 | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| 10/16 | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| 10/04 | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| 5/22 | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (306 - 114) |
| 5/22 | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| 9/29 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| 9/29 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| 9/27 | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| 9/26 | HR 2679 | Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 173) |
| 9/26 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 3/07 | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |