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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 25, 2012 | NJ | A 763 | Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| June 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1566 | Authorizes the Conversion of Foreclosed Homes into Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2174 | Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
| June 15, 2012 | CA | AB 1464 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 28) |
| June 15, 2012 | CA | AB 1464 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| June 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| June 12, 2012 | RI | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 2) |
| June 12, 2012 | RI | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| June 7, 2012 | MI | HB 5223 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
| June 6, 2012 | PA | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67) |
| June 5, 2012 | PA | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| June 5, 2012 | NC | SB 582 | Expands Casino Gambling | Bill Passed - House (68 - 49) |
| June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 31, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| May 31, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/25 | A 763 | Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 6/25 | S 1566 | Authorizes the Conversion of Foreclosed Homes into Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 6/21 | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2174 | Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
| 6/19 | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
| 6/15 | AB 1464 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 28) |
| 6/15 | AB 1464 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 6/13 | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 6/12 | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 2) |
| 6/12 | S 2052 | Homeless Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| 6/07 | HB 5223 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| 6/06 | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132) |
| 6/06 | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| 6/06 | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| 6/06 | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| 6/06 | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
| 6/06 | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
| 6/06 | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67) |
| 6/05 | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 6/05 | SB 582 | Expands Casino Gambling | Bill Passed - House (68 - 49) |
| 6/05 | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 5/31 | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |