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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 29, 2006 | National | HR 5672 | Commerce Department Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (393 - 23) |
| June 28, 2006 | NH | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| June 28, 2006 | NH | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| June 28, 2006 | National | H Amdt 1156 | Trigger Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 191) |
| June 28, 2006 | PA | HB 804 | Handheld Cell Phone Ban While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| June 21, 2006 | PA | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| June 16, 2006 | National | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| June 15, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
| June 15, 2006 | MD | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
| June 13, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67) |
| June 13, 2006 | NY | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
| June 12, 2006 | PA | HB 698 | Mental Retardation Consideration in Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (169 - 28) |
| June 9, 2006 | National | HR 5522 | Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act | Bill Passed - House (373 - 34) |
| June 7, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| June 6, 2006 | PA | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (136 - 61) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| June 6, 2006 | National | HR 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act, 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/29 | HR 5672 | Commerce Department Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (393 - 23) |
| 6/28 | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| 6/28 | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| 6/28 | H Amdt 1156 | Trigger Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 191) |
| 6/28 | HB 804 | Handheld Cell Phone Ban While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| 6/21 | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| 6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| 6/16 | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| 6/15 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 6/15 | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
| 6/13 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67) |
| 6/13 | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
| 6/12 | HB 698 | Mental Retardation Consideration in Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (169 - 28) |
| 6/09 | HR 5522 | Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act | Bill Passed - House (373 - 34) |
| 6/07 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 6/06 | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (136 - 61) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 6/06 | HR 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act, 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 9) |