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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |