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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
Nov. 3, 2009 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
Sept. 2, 2009 | CA | AB 1422 | Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
Aug. 12, 2009 | AZ | HB 2013 | Budget Reconciliation (Health and Welfare) | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
June 24, 2009 | NC | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
June 22, 2009 | AZ | SB 1440 | Smoking in Cars with Minors | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 20) |
June 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2672 | Increasing Moist Snuff Tobacco Tax and Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
June 9, 2009 | WI | SB 167 | Decreasing the Minimum Hunting Age | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
June 3, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
May 27, 2009 | OR | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 2) |
May 18, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
May 6, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
April 27, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
April 6, 2009 | ND | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
March 26, 2009 | National | HR 1388 | National Volunteer Program Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19) |
March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
March 16, 2009 | ID | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 225 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
Jan. 29, 2009 | National | HR 2 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
Jan. 28, 2009 | WY | SF 65 | Ban on Texting While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/10 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
12/03 | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
11/03 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
9/02 | AB 1422 | Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
8/12 | HB 2013 | Budget Reconciliation (Health and Welfare) | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
6/24 | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
6/22 | SB 1440 | Smoking in Cars with Minors | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 20) |
6/15 | HB 2672 | Increasing Moist Snuff Tobacco Tax and Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
6/09 | SB 167 | Decreasing the Minimum Hunting Age | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
6/03 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
5/27 | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 2) |
5/18 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
5/06 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
4/27 | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
4/06 | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
4/02 | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
3/26 | HR 1388 | National Volunteer Program Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19) |
3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
3/16 | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
3/09 | SB 225 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
3/04 | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
2/25 | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
2/02 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
1/29 | HR 2 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
1/28 | SF 65 | Ban on Texting While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |