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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 3, 2015 National HR 8 North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act Bill Passed - House (249 - 174)
Dec. 1, 2015 National S J Res 23 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
Dec. 1, 2015 National S J Res 24 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - House (242 - 180)
Nov. 17, 2015 National S J Res 24 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
Nov. 17, 2015 National S J Res 23 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
Nov. 3, 2015 National S 1140 Federal Water Quality Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41)
Oct. 8, 2015 National HR 538 Native American Energy Act Bill Passed - House (254 - 173)
Sept. 25, 2015 National HR 348 Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (233 - 170)
Sept. 25, 2015 National HR 348 Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (233 - 170)
Sept. 11, 2015 CA SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
Sept. 11, 2015 CA SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
Sept. 4, 2015 CA AB 96 Prohibits Sale of Ivory and Rhino Horn Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21)
Sept. 4, 2015 CA AB 888 Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Plastic Microbeads Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Sept. 2, 2015 CA AB 96 Prohibits Sale of Ivory and Rhino Horn Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
July 22, 2015 National HR 1734 Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulations Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 166)
July 22, 2015 National HR 1734 Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulations Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 166)
July 21, 2015 NC HB 169 Repeals Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Certain Counties Bill Passed - House (72 - 35)
July 16, 2015 National HR 2898 Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (245 - 176)
July 9, 2015 National HR 2647 Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (262 - 167)
July 9, 2015 National HR 2647 Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (262 - 167)
June 30, 2015 WA SB 5987 Increases Motor Fuel Tax and Amends Transportation Funding Bill Passed - House (54 - 44)
June 24, 2015 National HR 2042 Ratepayer Protection Act Bill Passed - House (247 - 180)
June 12, 2015 MN SF 5 2015-2017 Biennium Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
June 12, 2015 MN SF 5 2015-2017 Biennium Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
June 3, 2015 CA SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/03 HR 8 North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act Bill Passed - House (249 - 174)
12/01 S J Res 23 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
12/01 S J Res 24 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - House (242 - 180)
11/17 S J Res 24 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
11/17 S J Res 23 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
11/03 S 1140 Federal Water Quality Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41)
10/08 HR 538 Native American Energy Act Bill Passed - House (254 - 173)
9/25 HR 348 Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (233 - 170)
9/25 HR 348 Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (233 - 170)
9/11 SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
9/11 SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
9/04 AB 96 Prohibits Sale of Ivory and Rhino Horn Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21)
9/04 AB 888 Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Plastic Microbeads Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
9/02 AB 96 Prohibits Sale of Ivory and Rhino Horn Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
7/22 HR 1734 Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulations Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 166)
7/22 HR 1734 Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulations Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 166)
7/21 HB 169 Repeals Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Certain Counties Bill Passed - House (72 - 35)
7/16 HR 2898 Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (245 - 176)
7/09 HR 2647 Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (262 - 167)
7/09 HR 2647 Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (262 - 167)
6/30 SB 5987 Increases Motor Fuel Tax and Amends Transportation Funding Bill Passed - House (54 - 44)
6/24 HR 2042 Ratepayer Protection Act Bill Passed - House (247 - 180)
6/12 SF 5 2015-2017 Biennium Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
6/12 SF 5 2015-2017 Biennium Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
6/03 SB 350 Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)

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