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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 29, 2011 | NC | HB 645 | Temporary Fuel Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (94 - 23) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | MI | SB 291 | Repeals Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | AB 1424 | Suspending the Licenses of Delinquent Taxpayers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| Sept. 2, 2011 | CA | AB 353 | DUI Inspection Checkpoints and Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 12) |
| July 20, 2011 | National | HR 2553 | Airport and Airway Extension Act | Bill Passed - House (243 - 177) |
| June 30, 2011 | DE | HB 95 | Motorcycle Helmet Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (28 - 11) |
| June 29, 2011 | TX | SB 29 | Restricts Certain Types of Touching During Searches by Government Officials | Motion Rejected - House (96 - 26) |
| June 9, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 406 | Transportation Security Administration Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 204) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 398 | Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205) |
| May 30, 2011 | NV | SB 140 | Prohibiting the Use of Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| May 29, 2011 | TX | HB 242 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 61) |
| May 28, 2011 | IL | HB 1091 | Public-Private Transportation Partnership | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 40) |
| May 16, 2011 | CA | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| May 6, 2011 | UT | SB 229 | Transportation Funding Revisions | Veto Override Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| May 4, 2011 | LA | HB 52 | Increasing New Orleans Traffic Court Costs | Bill Failed - House (49 - 22) |
| April 27, 2011 | NH | SB 78 | Gas Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (208 - 98) |
| April 25, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | |
| April 18, 2011 | AZ | SB 1402 | Special License Plates | Bill Passed - House (31 - 28) |
| April 15, 2011 | IN | SB 473 | Toll Way Projects | Bill Passed - House (73 - 19) |
| April 15, 2011 | WA | HB 1382 | Express Toll Lanes in the Eastside Corridor | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 44) |
| April 5, 2011 | IN | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| April 4, 2011 | NY | A 4578 | Authorizing an Intercity Bus Permit System | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/29 | HB 645 | Temporary Fuel Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (94 - 23) |
| 11/17 | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| 11/09 | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 11/02 | SB 291 | Repeals Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| 9/09 | AB 1424 | Suspending the Licenses of Delinquent Taxpayers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| 9/02 | AB 353 | DUI Inspection Checkpoints and Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 12) |
| 7/20 | HR 2553 | Airport and Airway Extension Act | Bill Passed - House (243 - 177) |
| 6/30 | HB 95 | Motorcycle Helmet Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (28 - 11) |
| 6/29 | SB 29 | Restricts Certain Types of Touching During Searches by Government Officials | Motion Rejected - House (96 - 26) |
| 6/09 | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 406 | Transportation Security Administration Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 204) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 398 | Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205) |
| 5/30 | SB 140 | Prohibiting the Use of Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| 5/29 | HB 242 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 61) |
| 5/28 | HB 1091 | Public-Private Transportation Partnership | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 40) |
| 5/16 | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| 5/06 | SB 229 | Transportation Funding Revisions | Veto Override Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| 5/04 | HB 52 | Increasing New Orleans Traffic Court Costs | Bill Failed - House (49 - 22) |
| 4/27 | SB 78 | Gas Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (208 - 98) |
| 4/25 | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | |
| 4/18 | SB 1402 | Special License Plates | Bill Passed - House (31 - 28) |
| 4/15 | SB 473 | Toll Way Projects | Bill Passed - House (73 - 19) |
| 4/15 | HB 1382 | Express Toll Lanes in the Eastside Corridor | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 44) |
| 4/05 | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| 4/04 | A 4578 | Authorizing an Intercity Bus Permit System | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |