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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2012 | MA | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| April 11, 2012 | WA | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| April 11, 2012 | WA | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| April 10, 2012 | WA | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | (56 - 42) |
| April 10, 2012 | WA | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| April 10, 2012 | AL | HB 433 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 47) |
| April 9, 2012 | AK | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17) |
| March 28, 2012 | AZ | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 1658 | Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud | Bill Passed - House (245 - 84) |
| March 21, 2012 | SC | HB 4967 | Amends the South Carolina Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (86 - 27) |
| March 15, 2012 | NY | S 6735 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| March 14, 2012 | NY | S 6735 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
| March 7, 2012 | GA | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (114 - 59) |
| March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 312 | Require Development Activities for Certain Public Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| March 5, 2012 | WY | HB 82 | Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
| March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (39 - 17) |
| March 1, 2012 | UT | HB 155 | Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (62 - 10) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 28, 2012 | WY | SF 59 | Limits Cost-of-Living Adjustments to State Employee Retirement Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/25 | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| 4/25 | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| 4/11 | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| 4/11 | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 4/10 | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | (56 - 42) |
| 4/10 | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 4/10 | HB 433 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 47) |
| 4/09 | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| 3/29 | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60) |
| 3/29 | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 3/28 | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 3/28 | HB 1658 | Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud | Bill Passed - House (245 - 84) |
| 3/21 | HB 4967 | Amends the South Carolina Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (86 - 27) |
| 3/15 | S 6735 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| 3/14 | S 6735 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 3/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 3/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
| 3/07 | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (114 - 59) |
| 3/07 | SB 312 | Require Development Activities for Certain Public Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| 3/05 | HB 82 | Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
| 3/01 | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (39 - 17) |
| 3/01 | HB 155 | Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (62 - 10) |
| 2/29 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/28 | SF 59 | Limits Cost-of-Living Adjustments to State Employee Retirement Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 2/27 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |