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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
| Sept. 18, 2013 | National | HR 761 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (246 - 178) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | MO | SB 267 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Foreign Laws | Veto Override Failed - House (108 - 53) |
| July 24, 2013 | NC | HB 522 | Prohibits the Application of Foreign Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 37) |
| June 2, 2013 | LA | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12) |
| May 24, 2013 | TX | HB 950 | Requires Equal Pay for Women | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 61) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 72 | Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| May 15, 2013 | MO | HB 650 | Limits Punitive Awards for Lead Exposure from Certain Mines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 63) |
| May 15, 2013 | AZ | SB 1178 | Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense | Bill Passed - House (32 - 24) |
| May 14, 2013 | NV | SB 139 | Classifies Crimes Based on Gender Identity or Expression as Felonies | Bill Passed - House (30 - 11) |
| May 8, 2013 | MO | SB 267 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (109 - 41) |
| May 1, 2013 | FL | SB 1792 | Amends Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Requirements | Bill Passed - House (77 - 38) |
| April 25, 2013 | FL | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - House (84 - 34) |
| April 18, 2013 | FL | SB 718 | Amends Alimony Provisions | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
| April 16, 2013 | IL | HB 2404 | Amends Definition of Delinquent Minor | Bill Passed - House (89 - 26) |
| March 11, 2013 | WA | HB 1000 | Authorizes Immunity to Health Care Providers Following End-Of-Life Directives | Bill Passed - House (59 - 36) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | ND | HB 1373 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircrafts | Bill Passed - House (60 - 31) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | KY | HB 89 | Requires Police to Collect DNA From Individuals Arrested on Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (68 - 27) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | SD | SB 70 | Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (63 - 7) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| Aug. 24, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
| June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
| May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| May 15, 2012 | CO | HB 1005 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (38 - 24) |
| April 26, 2012 | MO | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
| April 11, 2012 | ME | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| March 26, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| March 19, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| March 7, 2012 | MO | SB 572 | Amends Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (87 - 68) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | FL | HB 609 | Prohibits Unpaid Wage Collection Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (77 - 38) |
| Feb. 28, 2012 | UT | HB 316 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - House (43 - 26) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | FL | HB 549 | Amends Alimony Provisions | Bill Passed - House (83 - 30) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | MO | HB 1219 | Workplace Discrimination Amendments | Bill Passed - House (89 - 68) |
| Jan. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 327 | Amends Three Strikes Law | Bill Failed - House (33 - 35) |
| Nov. 1, 2011 | WI | AB 69 | Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Bill Passed - House (71 - 24) |
| Nov. 1, 2011 | WI | AB 147 | Inadmissibility of Apology Statements by Health Care Providers | Bill Passed - House (62 - 33) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 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) |
| April 20, 2011 | NC | SB 33 | Medical Malpractice Amendments | Bill Passed - House (91 - 27) |
| April 11, 2011 | PA | HB 1 | Comparative Negligence Provisions | Bill Passed - House (112 - 88) |