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. 9, 2013 | CA | AB 4 | Prohibits Law Enforcement from Detaining Individuals Solely Based on Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 3, 2013 | MI | HB 4714 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 32) |
| Aug. 27, 2013 | MI | HB 4714 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 18) |
| Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| Aug. 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 450 | Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 185) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 450 | Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 185) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 448 | Requires Congressional Approval Prior to Establishing a Tax on Carbon Emissions | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 176) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 448 | Requires Congressional Approval Prior to Establishing a Tax on Carbon Emissions | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 176) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | HR 367 | Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 183) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | HR 2009 | Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 185) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | HR 367 | Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 183) |
| Aug. 2, 2013 | National | HR 2009 | Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 185) |
| Aug. 1, 2013 | National | HR 1582 | Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 181) |
| July 24, 2013 | NC | HB 392 | Authorizes Drug Testing for Work First Program Applicants | Conference Report Adopted - House (92 - 21) |
| July 24, 2013 | National | HR 2397 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 109) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 41) |
| July 23, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 41) |
| July 23, 2013 | National | H Amdt 375 | Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
| July 11, 2013 | National | HR 2642 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (216 - 208) |
| July 8, 2013 | OR | HB 2639 | Prohibits Discrimination in Selling, Renting, or Leasing Property | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| July 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 3, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| July 3, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| July 3, 2013 | OR | HB 2639 | Prohibits Discrimination in Selling, Renting, or Leasing Property | Bill Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| July 1, 2013 | OR | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| July 1, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (108 - 94) |
| June 28, 2013 | OR | SB 215 | Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots by Agreement | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| June 27, 2013 | CA | AB 277 | Authorizes Gaming on Traditional Tribal Territory | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| June 27, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| June 24, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - House (56 - 14) |
| June 23, 2013 | TX | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 47) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 2 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (109 - 30) |
| June 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 231 | Authorizes States to Require Federal Welfare Work Requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 198) |
| June 20, 2013 | National | HR 1947 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Bill Failed - House (195 - 234) |
| June 19, 2013 | DE | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| June 19, 2013 | National | H Amdt 176 | Restores $20.5 Billion in Appropriations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Amendment Rejected - House (188 - 234) |
| June 18, 2013 | DE | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Motion Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| June 14, 2013 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| June 13, 2013 | AZ | HB 2608 | Amends Retirement Plans for Elected Officials | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (35 - 24) |