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 | FL | HB 1209 | Prohibits Courts from Basing Decisions on Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (92 - 24) |
June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
May 1, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
June 6, 2012 | NH | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
Aug. 24, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
June 25, 2012 | NJ | A 763 | Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 30) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
April 26, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
March 7, 2012 | MO | SB 572 | Amends Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (87 - 68) |
March 28, 2012 | ID | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
June 21, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
Feb. 15, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Amends the Rules Regarding Hiring Outside Counsel | Bill Passed - House (59 - 56) |
April 26, 2012 | MO | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
April 11, 2012 | ME | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
March 26, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | MO | HB 1219 | Workplace Discrimination Amendments | Bill Passed - House (89 - 68) |
May 15, 2012 | CO | HB 1005 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (38 - 24) |
March 19, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | FL | HB 609 | Prohibits Unpaid Wage Collection Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (77 - 38) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | UT | HB 316 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - House (43 - 26) |
Feb. 24, 2012 | FL | HB 971 | Amends Process of Judiciary Appointment | Bill Passed - House (77 - 35) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | FL | HB 549 | Amends Alimony Provisions | Bill Passed - House (83 - 30) |
March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
Jan. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 327 | Amends Three Strikes Law | Bill Failed - House (33 - 35) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
3/01 | HB 1209 | Prohibits Courts from Basing Decisions on Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (92 - 24) |
6/27 | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111) |
7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
5/01 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
6/06 | SB 406 | Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141) |
4/09 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
5/31 | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
8/27 | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
8/24 | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
8/29 | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
6/25 | A 763 | Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 30) |
2/09 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
8/16 | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
8/27 | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - House (52 - 27) |
4/26 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
3/07 | SB 572 | Amends Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (87 - 68) |
3/28 | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
6/21 | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
2/15 | HB 211 | Amends the Rules Regarding Hiring Outside Counsel | Bill Passed - House (59 - 56) |
4/26 | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
5/16 | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
4/11 | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
3/26 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
6/11 | H 7909 | Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
2/09 | HB 1219 | Workplace Discrimination Amendments | Bill Passed - House (89 - 68) |
5/15 | HB 1005 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (38 - 24) |
3/19 | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
2/29 | HB 609 | Prohibits Unpaid Wage Collection Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (77 - 38) |
2/28 | HB 316 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - House (43 - 26) |
2/24 | HB 971 | Amends Process of Judiciary Appointment | Bill Passed - House (77 - 35) |
2/23 | HB 549 | Amends Alimony Provisions | Bill Passed - House (83 - 30) |
3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
1/30 | AB 327 | Amends Three Strikes Law | Bill Failed - House (33 - 35) |