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. 23, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| Sept. 22, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 84) |
| July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| July 2, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (119 - 80) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 2354 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Plans from the Department of Environmental Protection | Bill Passed - House (144 - 59) |
| June 29, 2014 | PA | HB 1013 | Amends Laws for Home-Schooled Individuals | Bill Passed - House (133 - 65) |
| Jan. 13, 2014 | PA | HB 1741 | Requires a School Board to Provide Public Notice Prior to Certain Votes | Bill Passed - House (102 - 98) |
| Jan. 13, 2014 | PA | HB 1411 | Requires Schools To Make Their Expenses Public | Bill Passed - House (119 - 81) |
| Dec. 17, 2013 | PA | HB 1234 | Reduces Size of General Assembly | Joint Resolution Passed - House (148 - 50) |
| July 3, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| July 1, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (108 - 94) |
| May 6, 2013 | PA | HB 440 | Amends Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (129 - 65) |
| April 23, 2013 | PA | HB 818 | Prohibits Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - House (144 - 53) |
| March 21, 2013 | PA | HB 790 | Requires the State to Privatize Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - House (105 - 90) |
| March 19, 2013 | PA | SB 644 | Amends the Definition of "Wild Animal" | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| Oct. 16, 2012 | PA | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| Oct. 3, 2012 | PA | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
| Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/23 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 9/22 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 84) |
| 7/08 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 7/02 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (119 - 80) |
| 7/01 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 7/01 | HB 2354 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Plans from the Department of Environmental Protection | Bill Passed - House (144 - 59) |
| 6/29 | HB 1013 | Amends Laws for Home-Schooled Individuals | Bill Passed - House (133 - 65) |
| 1/13 | HB 1741 | Requires a School Board to Provide Public Notice Prior to Certain Votes | Bill Passed - House (102 - 98) |
| 1/13 | HB 1411 | Requires Schools To Make Their Expenses Public | Bill Passed - House (119 - 81) |
| 12/17 | HB 1234 | Reduces Size of General Assembly | Joint Resolution Passed - House (148 - 50) |
| 7/03 | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 7/01 | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (108 - 94) |
| 5/06 | HB 440 | Amends Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (129 - 65) |
| 4/23 | HB 818 | Prohibits Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - House (144 - 53) |
| 3/21 | HB 790 | Requires the State to Privatize Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - House (105 - 90) |
| 3/19 | SB 644 | Amends the Definition of "Wild Animal" | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 10/17 | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| 10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
| 10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 10/17 | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
| 10/17 | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| 10/16 | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 10/03 | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
| 9/25 | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| 6/30 | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72) |