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. 24, 2014 | PA | SB 1182 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| Sept. 23, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| July 3, 2013 | PA | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 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) |
| June 29, 2012 | PA | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| June 29, 2012 | PA | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| June 29, 2012 | PA | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| June 19, 2012 | PA | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| June 5, 2012 | PA | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| March 7, 2012 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| Feb. 7, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | PA | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | PA | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| Nov. 15, 2011 | PA | SB 1100 | Regulation of Oil and Natural Gas Resources | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | PA | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Oct. 25, 2011 | PA | SB 595 | Authorizes the Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| Oct. 18, 2011 | PA | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| June 30, 2011 | PA | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| June 30, 2011 | PA | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/24 | SB 1182 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 9/23 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 7/08 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 7/01 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 7/03 | HB 1075 | Amends Public Welfare Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 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) |
| 6/29 | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 6/29 | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 6/29 | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 6/19 | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 6/05 | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 3/07 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 2/07 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 12/14 | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 12/07 | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 11/15 | SB 1100 | Regulation of Oil and Natural Gas Resources | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 10/26 | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 10/25 | SB 595 | Authorizes the Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| 10/18 | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| 6/30 | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 6/30 | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |