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. 14, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (74 - 33) |
Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 1711 | Increases Penalties for Failing to Secure a Child in a Car Seat | Bill Passed - House (63 - 16) |
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 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
June 21, 2012 | NJ | A 1571 | Increases Requirements for Learner's Permits | Bill Passed - House (50 - 27) |
May 31, 2012 | MI | HB 4513 | Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten | Bill Passed - House (64 - 45) |
May 30, 2012 | MA | H 3986 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 32) |
May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
April 26, 2012 | TN | HB 2566 | Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
April 25, 2012 | TN | HB 2566 | Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements | Bill Passed - House (68 - 30) |
April 18, 2012 | AZ | HB 2154 | Requires Car Seats for Certain Children | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
April 5, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
April 5, 2012 | MD | HB 373 | Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students | Bill Passed - House (88 - 49) |
April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2348 | Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
March 19, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
March 15, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
March 14, 2012 | MD | SB 559 | Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
March 13, 2012 | RI | S 2322 | Prohibits The Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2154 | Requires Car Seats for Certain Children | Bill Passed - House (38 - 17) |
Feb. 22, 2012 | UT | SB 41 | Authorizes Regulations of Tanning Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |