Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 1, 2013 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (77 - 33)
May 1, 2013 TX HB 489 Expands Access to Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD Bill Passed - House (120 - 21)
April 30, 2013 HI HB 622 Limits Media 'Shield Law' Provisions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 9)
April 30, 2013 MI SB 197 Requires the State Prison Food Service To Seek Competitive Bids From Private Entities Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
April 30, 2013 AL HB 8 Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
April 30, 2013 AL SB 93 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
April 30, 2013 TX SB 1907 Authorizes Firearms in Vehicles on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
April 30, 2013 AL SB 93 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
April 29, 2013 FL HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
April 29, 2013 FL HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
April 26, 2013 IN SB 373 Prohibits Unauthorized Entry on Industrial or Agricultural Property Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
April 26, 2013 IN HB 1006 Amends the Criminal Code Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 15)
April 26, 2013 TX HB 148 Prohibits Multiple Ballots from Being Turned in by 1 Individual Bill Passed - House (93 - 48)
April 25, 2013 FL HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - House (84 - 34)
April 25, 2013 FL HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - House (84 - 34)
April 25, 2013 MI SJR S Establishes a Constitutional Authorization for Individuals to Hunt and Fish Amendment Adopted - Senate (25 - 11)
April 25, 2013 NC SB 201 Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 16)
April 24, 2013 LA HB 265 Establishes Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permits Bill Passed - House (65 - 19)
April 24, 2013 IL SB 923 Authorizes the Use of Traffic Cameras on School Buses Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12)
April 24, 2013 AL SB 191 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
April 23, 2013 MT HB 297 Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
April 23, 2013 CO HB 1251 Requires DNA Samples for Misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (43 - 21)
April 23, 2013 LA HB 5 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - House (67 - 25)
April 23, 2013 LA HB 5 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - House (67 - 25)
April 23, 2013 OR HB 2624 Exempts Counties from Hunting Dog Prohibitions if Approved by County Voters Bill Passed - House (40 - 19)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/01 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (77 - 33)
5/01 HB 489 Expands Access to Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD Bill Passed - House (120 - 21)
4/30 HB 622 Limits Media 'Shield Law' Provisions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 9)
4/30 SB 197 Requires the State Prison Food Service To Seek Competitive Bids From Private Entities Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
4/30 HB 8 Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
4/30 SB 93 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
4/30 SB 1907 Authorizes Firearms in Vehicles on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
4/30 SB 93 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
4/29 HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
4/29 HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
4/26 SB 373 Prohibits Unauthorized Entry on Industrial or Agricultural Property Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
4/26 HB 1006 Amends the Criminal Code Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 15)
4/26 HB 148 Prohibits Multiple Ballots from Being Turned in by 1 Individual Bill Passed - House (93 - 48)
4/25 HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - House (84 - 34)
4/25 HB 7083 Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals Bill Passed - House (84 - 34)
4/25 SJR S Establishes a Constitutional Authorization for Individuals to Hunt and Fish Amendment Adopted - Senate (25 - 11)
4/25 SB 201 Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 16)
4/24 HB 265 Establishes Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permits Bill Passed - House (65 - 19)
4/24 SB 923 Authorizes the Use of Traffic Cameras on School Buses Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12)
4/24 SB 191 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
4/23 HB 297 Prohibits the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
4/23 HB 1251 Requires DNA Samples for Misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (43 - 21)
4/23 HB 5 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - House (67 - 25)
4/23 HB 5 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations Bill Passed - House (67 - 25)
4/23 HB 2624 Exempts Counties from Hunting Dog Prohibitions if Approved by County Voters Bill Passed - House (40 - 19)

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