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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 5, 2009 | PA | HB 1828 | Municipal Pension System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (112 - 85) |
| July 20, 2009 | PA | HB 1416 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| July 17, 2009 | PA | HB 1416 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (104 - 95) |
| June 29, 2009 | PA | HB 1 | Expanding Health Insurance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 96) |
| June 29, 2009 | PA | HB 746 | Children's Health Care Insurance | Bill Passed - House (106 - 94) |
| May 6, 2009 | PA | SB 850 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| March 25, 2009 | PA | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| July 4, 2008 | PA | SB 1389 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (170 - 32) |
| July 4, 2008 | PA | HB 1067 | Omnibus Education Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (191 - 11) |
| June 25, 2008 | PA | A 7738 | Real ID Biometric Data | Bill Failed - House (92 - 108) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 10, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| June 2, 2008 | PA | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| May 7, 2008 | PA | HB 2297 | Expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zone | Bill Passed - House (126 - 72) |
| March 17, 2008 | PA | SB 1137 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care | Bill Passed - House (118 - 81) |
| March 11, 2008 | PA | HB 1 | Clean Energy Program | Bill Passed - House (126 - 74) |
| July 17, 2007 | PA | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (124 - 79) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (140 - 63) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 2) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (141 - 62) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| July 10, 2007 | PA | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| July 10, 2007 | PA | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| June 30, 2007 | PA | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (96 - 102) |
| June 28, 2007 | PA | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| June 27, 2007 | PA | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Bill Passed - House (105 - 96) |
| June 26, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| June 25, 2007 | PA | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| July 1, 2006 | PA | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 21) |
| July 1, 2006 | PA | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (130 - 68) |
| June 28, 2006 | PA | A7999 to HB 1959 | English as Official Language | Amendment Adopted - House (122 - 70) |
| June 14, 2006 | PA | HB 39 | Property Taxes (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - House (137 - 61) |
| June 12, 2006 | PA | HB 698 | Mental Retardation Consideration in Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (169 - 28) |
| May 3, 2006 | PA | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| May 3, 2006 | PA | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Bill Passed - House (139 - 59) |
| May 2, 2006 | PA | HB 39 | Property Taxes (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9) |
| March 20, 2006 | PA | HB 213 | Ecoterrorism Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| March 14, 2006 | PA | SB 862 | State Gaming | Bill Passed - House (180 - 20) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (106 - 85) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/05 | HB 1828 | Municipal Pension System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (112 - 85) |
| 7/20 | HB 1416 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 7/17 | HB 1416 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (104 - 95) |
| 6/29 | HB 1 | Expanding Health Insurance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 96) |
| 6/29 | HB 746 | Children's Health Care Insurance | Bill Passed - House (106 - 94) |
| 5/06 | SB 850 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 3/25 | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 7/04 | SB 1389 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (170 - 32) |
| 7/04 | HB 1067 | Omnibus Education Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (191 - 11) |
| 6/25 | A 7738 | Real ID Biometric Data | Bill Failed - House (92 - 108) |
| 6/16 | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/16 | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/16 | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/10 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 6/02 | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 5/07 | HB 2297 | Expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zone | Bill Passed - House (126 - 72) |
| 3/17 | SB 1137 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care | Bill Passed - House (118 - 81) |
| 3/11 | HB 1 | Clean Energy Program | Bill Passed - House (126 - 74) |
| 7/17 | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (124 - 79) |
| 7/16 | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (140 - 63) |
| 7/16 | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 2) |
| 7/16 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| 7/16 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (141 - 62) |
| 7/16 | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 7/10 | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| 7/10 | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| 6/30 | HB 1286 | 2007-2008 Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (96 - 102) |
| 6/28 | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| 6/27 | HB 1590 | Public Transportation and Interstate 80 Toll Road | Bill Passed - House (105 - 96) |
| 6/26 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 6/25 | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 7/01 | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 21) |
| 7/01 | HB 2499 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (130 - 68) |
| 6/28 | A7999 to HB 1959 | English as Official Language | Amendment Adopted - House (122 - 70) |
| 6/14 | HB 39 | Property Taxes (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - House (137 - 61) |
| 6/12 | HB 698 | Mental Retardation Consideration in Murder Cases | Bill Passed - House (169 - 28) |
| 5/03 | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 5/03 | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Bill Passed - House (139 - 59) |
| 5/02 | HB 39 | Property Taxes (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 3/20 | HB 213 | Ecoterrorism Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 3/14 | SB 862 | State Gaming | Bill Passed - House (180 - 20) |
| 2/15 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/14 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91) |
| 2/01 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (106 - 85) |