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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
| Sept. 15, 2011 | National | HR 2587 | National Labor Relations Board Prohibitions | Bill Passed - House (238 - 186) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | ABX1 40 | State Tax Code Restructuring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 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. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 469 | Requirements for Expansion by Large Retailers | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Aug. 30, 2011 | CA | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 29, 2011 | CA | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| July 13, 2011 | NC | SB 727 | No Dues Checkoff for School Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| June 30, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| June 23, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (304 - 117) |
| June 23, 2011 | NJ | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| June 23, 2011 | DE | HB 100 | Background Checks for Contractors on School Premises | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 5) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 119) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 119) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/21 | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
| 9/15 | HR 2587 | National Labor Relations Board Prohibitions | Bill Passed - House (238 - 186) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/09 | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| 9/08 | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9) |
| 9/08 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| 9/08 | ABX1 40 | State Tax Code Restructuring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 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) |
| 9/06 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/01 | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/01 | SB 469 | Requirements for Expansion by Large Retailers | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 8/30 | AB 1319 | Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 8/29 | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| 7/13 | SB 727 | No Dues Checkoff for School Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 6/30 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| 6/23 | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (304 - 117) |
| 6/23 | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| 6/23 | HB 100 | Background Checks for Contractors on School Premises | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 5) |
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 119) |
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 119) |
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |