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. 3, 2012 | NJ | S 2157 | Establishes Residential Foreclosure | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - House (43 - 33) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 2641 | Stormwater Management | Bill Passed - House (48 - 31) |
| Oct. 3, 2012 | PA | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
| Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21) |
| Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 29) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29) |
| Aug. 24, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 18, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| July 18, 2012 | MI | SB 1130 | Amends Permit Requirements for Sand Dune Use | Bill Passed - House (63 - 40) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
| July 11, 2012 | National | HR 6079 | Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 185) |
| June 28, 2012 | NJ | S 1566 | Authorizes the Conversion of Foreclosed Homes into Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
| June 19, 2012 | DE | SB 205 | Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases | Bill Failed - House (14 - 22) |
| June 12, 2012 | RI | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| June 7, 2012 | National | HR 436 | Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices | Bill Passed - House (270 - 146) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
| June 5, 2012 | MA | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1064 | Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers | Bill Failed - House (57 - 58) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| May 22, 2012 | IL | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| May 15, 2012 | MO | SB 576 | Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (99 - 54) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| May 9, 2012 | IA | SF 2315 | Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31) |
| May 9, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| May 9, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| May 8, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33) |
| May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - House (99 - 32) |
| May 7, 2012 | IA | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| May 2, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20) |