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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 26, 2014 | AL | SB 63 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| Feb. 25, 2014 | AL | HB 141 | Authorizes Veterinarians to Work at Nonprofit Spay Neuter Clinics | Bill Passed - House (58 - 37) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | AL | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| Jan. 21, 2014 | AL | HB 31 | Authorizes Health Care Providers to Abstain from Certain Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| May 2, 2013 | AL | SB 286 | Amends Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 27) |
| 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 | AL | SB 93 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| April 24, 2013 | AL | SB 191 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| April 19, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29) |
| April 21, 2011 | AL | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| April 14, 2011 | AL | HB 126 | Extending Forever Wild Land Trust | Bill Passed - House (69 - 24) |
| April 5, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (73 - 28) |
| March 22, 2011 | AL | HB 19 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| March 30, 2010 | AL | SB 380 | Authorization, Regulation, and Taxation of Bingo | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| April 23, 2009 | AL | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| April 23, 2009 | AL | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| April 23, 2009 | AL | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| May 6, 2008 | AL | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| May 6, 2008 | AL | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| May 24, 2007 | AL | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| April 24, 2007 | AL | SJR 54 | Expressing Regret For Slavery | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/26 | SB 63 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| 2/25 | HB 141 | Authorizes Veterinarians to Work at Nonprofit Spay Neuter Clinics | Bill Passed - House (58 - 37) |
| 2/20 | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| 1/21 | HB 31 | Authorizes Health Care Providers to Abstain from Certain Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 5/02 | SB 286 | Amends Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 27) |
| 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 93 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 4/24 | SB 191 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 4/19 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| 4/03 | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| 4/03 | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29) |
| 4/21 | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| 4/14 | HB 126 | Extending Forever Wild Land Trust | Bill Passed - House (69 - 24) |
| 4/05 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (73 - 28) |
| 3/22 | HB 19 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| 3/30 | SB 380 | Authorization, Regulation, and Taxation of Bingo | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 4/23 | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| 4/23 | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| 4/23 | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| 5/06 | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| 5/06 | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| 5/24 | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| 4/24 | SJR 54 | Expressing Regret For Slavery | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |