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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
Dec. 14, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
Dec. 13, 2011 PA SB 732 Amends the Health Care Facilities Act of 179 Bill Passed - House (151 - 44)
Dec. 12, 2011 PA HB 1977 Amending Insurance Coverage of Abortions Bill Passed - House (146 - 45)
Nov. 29, 2011 National HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
Nov. 15, 2011 PA HB 439 Hiring Undocumented Workers Bill Passed - House (122 - 74)
Nov. 10, 2011 National S Amdt 928 American Jobs and Economic Growth Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56)
Nov. 10, 2011 MI SB 693 Establishes MIHealth Marketplace Health Insurance Exchange Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Nov. 10, 2011 ND HB 1474 Establishing a Health Benefit Exchange Bill Failed - House (30 - 64)
Nov. 1, 2011 WI AB 69 Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (71 - 24)
Nov. 1, 2011 WI AB 69 Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (71 - 24)
Nov. 1, 2011 WI SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - House (63 - 32)
Nov. 1, 2011 National H Con Res 13 Encourages Display of "In God We Trust" in Public Buildings and Schools Joint Resolution Passed - House (396 - 9)
Nov. 1, 2011 WI AB 147 Inadmissibility of Apology Statements by Health Care Providers Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
Oct. 26, 2011 National HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
Oct. 25, 2011 WI SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
Oct. 20, 2011 National S Amdt 769 Authorizes Individuals to Import FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1619 Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Act of 2011 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 35)
Sept. 26, 2011 NJ A 2806 Conversion of Certain Private Schools to Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Sept. 14, 2011 NH SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - House (251 - 111)
Sept. 9, 2011 CA SB 51 Compliance with Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
Sept. 9, 2011 CA SB 51 Compliance with Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (53 - 26)
Sept. 9, 2011 MO HB 1 Authority Over the Saint Louis Police Department Bill Passed - House (123 - 27)
Sept. 7, 2011 NH SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
12/14 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
12/13 SB 732 Amends the Health Care Facilities Act of 179 Bill Passed - House (151 - 44)
12/12 HB 1977 Amending Insurance Coverage of Abortions Bill Passed - House (146 - 45)
11/29 HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
11/15 HB 439 Hiring Undocumented Workers Bill Passed - House (122 - 74)
11/10 S Amdt 928 American Jobs and Economic Growth Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56)
11/10 SB 693 Establishes MIHealth Marketplace Health Insurance Exchange Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
11/10 HB 1474 Establishing a Health Benefit Exchange Bill Failed - House (30 - 64)
11/01 AB 69 Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (71 - 24)
11/01 AB 69 Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (71 - 24)
11/01 SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - House (63 - 32)
11/01 H Con Res 13 Encourages Display of "In God We Trust" in Public Buildings and Schools Joint Resolution Passed - House (396 - 9)
11/01 AB 147 Inadmissibility of Apology Statements by Health Care Providers Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
10/26 HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
10/25 SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
10/20 S Amdt 769 Authorizes Individuals to Import FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
10/11 S 1619 Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Act of 2011 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 35)
9/26 A 2806 Conversion of Certain Private Schools to Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
9/14 SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - House (251 - 111)
9/09 SB 51 Compliance with Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
9/09 SB 51 Compliance with Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (53 - 26)
9/09 HB 1 Authority Over the Saint Louis Police Department Bill Passed - House (123 - 27)
9/07 SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)

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