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. 18, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 24, 2010 | CA | AB 2072 | Informational Pamphlet for Parents of Deaf Children | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
Aug. 23, 2010 | NJ | A 2740 | Requiring Review of New Drivers' Program | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
July 7, 2010 | NC | HB 1726 | Child Care Nutrition and Activity Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
June 16, 2010 | LA | HB 1339 | Increasing Driving Restrictions on Class E License Holders | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
June 15, 2010 | NY | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
June 14, 2010 | LA | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 1088 | Young Adults Health insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
June 1, 2010 | CA | SB 880 | Requiring Snow Sport Helmets for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
May 27, 2010 | CA | SB 1255 | Restrictions on Beverages Sold In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
May 18, 2010 | OH | SB 210 | Establishing Health and Nutrition Standards in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
March 27, 2010 | MS | SB 2293 | Allowing "Under-Performing" Schools to Become Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
March 25, 2010 | IL | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
March 22, 2010 | AZ | SB 1309 | Expanding Parental Consent Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
March 22, 2010 | AZ | SB 1309 | Expanding Parental Consent Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
March 22, 2010 | NJ | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
March 22, 2010 | NJ | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
March 18, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
March 17, 2010 | KS | SB 447 | Home Child Care Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
March 16, 2010 | AZ | HCR 2001 | Repealing Early Childhood Development and Health Program | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
March 11, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
March 8, 2010 | UT | SB 44 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 14) |
Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 464 | Requiring Insurance Coverage of Autism Disorder | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
Feb. 13, 2010 | NM | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
Feb. 4, 2010 | NM | SB 26 | Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
Jan. 12, 2010 | CA | SB 880 | Requiring Snow Sport Helmets for Minors | |
Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/18 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
8/31 | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
8/31 | SB 1317 | Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
8/24 | AB 2072 | Informational Pamphlet for Parents of Deaf Children | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
8/23 | A 2740 | Requiring Review of New Drivers' Program | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
7/07 | HB 1726 | Child Care Nutrition and Activity Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
6/16 | HB 1339 | Increasing Driving Restrictions on Class E License Holders | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
6/15 | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
6/14 | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
6/02 | SB 1088 | Young Adults Health insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
6/01 | SB 880 | Requiring Snow Sport Helmets for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
5/27 | SB 1255 | Restrictions on Beverages Sold In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
5/18 | SB 210 | Establishing Health and Nutrition Standards in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
3/27 | SB 2293 | Allowing "Under-Performing" Schools to Become Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
3/25 | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
3/22 | SB 1309 | Expanding Parental Consent Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
3/22 | SB 1309 | Expanding Parental Consent Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
3/22 | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
3/22 | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
3/18 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
3/17 | SB 447 | Home Child Care Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
3/16 | HCR 2001 | Repealing Early Childhood Development and Health Program | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
3/11 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
3/08 | SB 44 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 14) |
2/16 | SB 464 | Requiring Insurance Coverage of Autism Disorder | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
2/13 | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
2/04 | SB 26 | Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
1/28 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
1/12 | SB 880 | Requiring Snow Sport Helmets for Minors | |
1/06 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
1/06 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |