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. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
Dec. 13, 2012 | OH | HB 495 | Amends Definition of Loaded Gun | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 23) |
Dec. 13, 2012 | MI | SB 59 | Expands Areas Where Concealed Weapons are Authorized | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
Dec. 13, 2012 | OH | HB 495 | Amends Definition of Loaded Gun | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
Dec. 13, 2012 | MI | SB 59 | Expands Areas Where Concealed Weapons are Authorized | Bill Passed - House (68 - 41) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 681 | Authorizes State Residents To Purchase Ammunition From In-State Companies | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 28) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Expands the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 11) |
Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1650 | Increases Requirements for Emergency Medical Service Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Bill Passed - House (53 - 23) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 29) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 29) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
Aug. 24, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
Aug. 23, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 23, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
Aug. 21, 2012 | CA | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
Aug. 20, 2012 | NJ | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
Aug. 20, 2012 | NJ | A 578 | Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
July 19, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
July 18, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
July 5, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48) |
July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |