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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - House (43 - 33) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | MI | SB 1294 | Requires Blue Cross Blue Shield to Begin Paying State Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Oct. 4, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| July 11, 2012 | National | HR 6079 | Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 185) |
| June 13, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
| May 15, 2012 | MA | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| May 8, 2012 | AL | SB 10 | Prohibits Insurance from Providing Coverage for Abortions | Bill Passed - House (76 - 28) |
| April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| April 25, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 9) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 21) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1534 | Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (108 - 44) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 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 | AL | HB 433 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 47) |
| April 5, 2012 | MD | HB 443 | Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 414 | Health Care Coverage for Treatments Relating to Autism | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 981 | Provides Reimbursement for Health Insurance Coverage of Autism | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 415 | Requires Insurers to Cover Autism Treatments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 415 | Requires Insurers to Cover Autism Treatments | Bill Passed - House (91 - 19) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 981 | Provides Reimbursement for Health Insurance Coverage of Autism | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | SB 414 | Health Care Coverage for Treatments Relating to Autism | Bill Passed - House (91 - 19) |