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 1, 2009 | NC | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| April 1, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| March 31, 2009 | WV | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 30, 2009 | GA | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| March 30, 2009 | GA | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| March 30, 2009 | ID | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| March 26, 2009 | MI | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| March 25, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 25, 2009 | KS | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| March 25, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| March 25, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| March 24, 2009 | NH | HB 531 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortion | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160) |
| March 24, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| March 20, 2009 | NM | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Failed - House (30 - 38) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 19, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| March 19, 2009 | TX | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 19, 2009 | TX | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| March 13, 2009 | AR | SB 239 | Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 29) |
| March 12, 2009 | GA | SB 169 | In Vitro Embryo Creation Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 22) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/01 | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| 4/01 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| 3/31 | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/30 | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| 3/30 | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| 3/30 | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| 3/26 | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| 3/26 | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| 3/25 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/25 | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| 3/25 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| 3/25 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| 3/24 | HB 531 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortion | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160) |
| 3/24 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| 3/20 | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Failed - House (30 - 38) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/19 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| 3/19 | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/19 | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 3/13 | SB 239 | Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 29) |
| 3/12 | SB 169 | In Vitro Embryo Creation Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 22) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |