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. 20, 2012 | National | H J Res 118 | Congressional Disapproval of Department of Health and Human Services Rule to Waive Certain Requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) | Joint Resolution Passed - House (250 - 164) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 15, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| Aug. 15, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| July 18, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (16 - 22) |
| June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 91) |
| June 29, 2012 | PA | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 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 | S Amdt 2174 | Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| 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 14, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| June 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| June 7, 2012 | MI | HB 5223 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| 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 | MA | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| June 5, 2012 | NC | H Amdt 2 | Limits Compensation for Eugenics Patients | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 85) |
| June 5, 2012 | NC | HB 947 | Authorizes Compensation for Eugenics Patients | Bill Passed - House (86 - 31) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 17, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| May 16, 2012 | MD | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - House (86 - 51) |
| May 15, 2012 | MD | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/20 | H J Res 118 | Congressional Disapproval of Department of Health and Human Services Rule to Waive Certain Requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) | Joint Resolution Passed - House (250 - 164) |
| 8/27 | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26) |
| 8/22 | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 8/15 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| 8/15 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 7/18 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (16 - 22) |
| 6/30 | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 91) |
| 6/29 | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2174 | Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| 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) |
| 6/14 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| 6/13 | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 6/07 | HB 5223 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| 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 | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| 6/05 | H Amdt 2 | Limits Compensation for Eugenics Patients | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 85) |
| 6/05 | HB 947 | Authorizes Compensation for Eugenics Patients | Bill Passed - House (86 - 31) |
| 5/31 | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| 5/17 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 5/16 | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - House (86 - 51) |
| 5/15 | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| 5/10 | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |