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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 1, 2012 | SD | SB 141 | Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse | Motion Agreed - House (39 - 25) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29) |
March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56) |
Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
Dec. 14, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (74 - 33) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | H Amdt 141 | Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship | Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33) |
May 9, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1096 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | SB 141 | Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
April 27, 2012 | TN | SB 3310 | Requires Abstinence-Centered Sex Education in Schools | Bill Passed - House (68 - 23) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
Feb. 8, 2012 | WA | SB 6239 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
March 13, 2012 | WI | SB 237 | Amending Sexual Education Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (60 - 34) |
May 16, 2012 | MD | SB 1302 | Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 60) |
June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 1711 | Increases Penalties for Failing to Secure a Child in a Car Seat | Bill Passed - House (63 - 16) |
Feb. 22, 2012 | VA | SB 349 | Authorizing Private Adoption Agencies to Refuse Certain Placements | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
Feb. 16, 2012 | NJ | S 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (42 - 33) |
March 14, 2012 | NH | HB 1264 | Authorizes Individuals to Refuse to Provide Services for Marriages | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (246 - 85) |
March 21, 2012 | NH | HB 437 | Repeals Same-Sex Marriage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116) |
July 19, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1416 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166) |
April 5, 2012 | MD | HB 373 | Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students | Bill Passed - House (88 - 49) |