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. 8, 2011 | MI | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 45) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | MI | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | WI | SB 237 | Amending Sexual Education Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Nov. 1, 2011 | WI | SB 45 | Administration of Medications to Students | Bill Passed - House (63 - 32) |
| Oct. 25, 2011 | WI | SB 45 | Administration of Medications to Students | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Sept. 13, 2011 | NC | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| Sept. 12, 2011 | NC | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 27) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| Sept. 2, 2011 | CA | SB 746 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 746 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors | Bill Passed - House (49 - 27) |
| Aug. 31, 2011 | CA | AB 499 | Authorizes Minors to Seek Medical Care for STDs | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Aug. 30, 2011 | CA | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| June 29, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| June 24, 2011 | NY | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 29) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 329 | Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 329 | Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors | Veto Override Passed - House (266 - 102) |
| June 15, 2011 | NY | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - House (80 - 63) |
| June 9, 2011 | TX | SB 7 | Health Care | Bill Passed - House (89 - 41) |
| May 23, 2011 | PA | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - House (178 - 20) |
| 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) |
| 12/08 | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 45) |
| 12/07 | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 11/02 | SB 237 | Amending Sexual Education Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 11/01 | SB 45 | Administration of Medications to Students | Bill Passed - House (63 - 32) |
| 10/25 | SB 45 | Administration of Medications to Students | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 9/13 | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 9/12 | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| 9/09 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| 9/08 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/06 | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 27) |
| 9/06 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| 9/02 | SB 746 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 9/01 | SB 746 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors | Bill Passed - House (49 - 27) |
| 8/31 | AB 499 | Authorizes Minors to Seek Medical Care for STDs | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 8/30 | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 6/29 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 6/24 | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 29) |
| 6/22 | HB 329 | Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 6/22 | HB 329 | Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors | Veto Override Passed - House (266 - 102) |
| 6/15 | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - House (80 - 63) |
| 6/09 | SB 7 | Health Care | Bill Passed - House (89 - 41) |
| 5/23 | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - House (178 - 20) |