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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 3, 2013 | LA | SB 5 | Repeals Mandatory Retirement Age for Judges | Amendment Rejected - House (63 - 33) |
| June 2, 2013 | LA | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12) |
| May 30, 2013 | LA | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 3) |
| May 26, 2013 | TX | HB 912 | Limits the Private Use of Unmanned Aircrafts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 5) |
| May 24, 2013 | TX | HB 950 | Requires Equal Pay for Women | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 61) |
| May 22, 2013 | AZ | SB 1178 | Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| May 22, 2013 | TX | HB 950 | Requires Equal Pay for Women | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 72 | Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| May 20, 2013 | CA | SB 439 | Exempts Certain Medical Marijuana Collectives and Cooperatives from Prosecution | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 15, 2013 | MO | HB 650 | Limits Punitive Awards for Lead Exposure from Certain Mines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 63) |
| May 15, 2013 | AZ | SB 1178 | Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense | Bill Passed - House (32 - 24) |
| May 14, 2013 | NV | SB 139 | Classifies Crimes Based on Gender Identity or Expression as Felonies | Bill Passed - House (30 - 11) |
| May 8, 2013 | AZ | HB 2608 | Amends Retirement Plans for Elected Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| May 8, 2013 | MO | SB 267 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (109 - 41) |
| May 7, 2013 | NC | HB 937 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (78 - 42) |
| May 1, 2013 | FL | SB 1792 | Amends Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Requirements | Bill Passed - House (77 - 38) |
| April 30, 2013 | HI | HB 622 | Limits Media 'Shield Law' Provisions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 9) |
| April 30, 2013 | AL | HB 8 | Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| April 29, 2013 | FL | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| April 25, 2013 | FL | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - House (84 - 34) |
| April 25, 2013 | CA | AB 1401 | Authorizes Non-United States Citizens to Serve on Juries | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| April 23, 2013 | IA | SF 447 | 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget | Bill Passed - House (51 - 46) |
| April 18, 2013 | CA | SB 140 | Appropriates Funds to the Armed Prohibited Persons System | Bill Passed - House (65 - 10) |
| April 18, 2013 | FL | SB 718 | Amends Alimony Provisions | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
| April 17, 2013 | IA | SF 447 | 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |