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. 17, 2013 | PA | HB 1234 | Reduces Size of General Assembly | Joint Resolution Passed - House (148 - 50) |
Dec. 11, 2013 | MI | HB 4369 | Expands the Education Achievement Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
Dec. 11, 2013 | National | HR 2019 | Kids First Research Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (295 - 103) |
Dec. 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 524 | Limits Covered Customers to Businesses With Less Than $25 Million in Revenue | Amendment Rejected - House (144 - 266) |
Dec. 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 521 | Authorizes Judicial Discretion in Awarding Legal Fees in Patent Lawsuits | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 213) |
Dec. 5, 2013 | National | HR 3309 | Innovation Act | Bill Passed - House (325 - 91) |
Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
Nov. 21, 2013 | National | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 499 | Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 504 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 503 | Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | Amdt 1 | Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
Nov. 12, 2013 | HI | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
Nov. 8, 2013 | HI | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (30 - 19) |
Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
Nov. 6, 2013 | IL | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
Nov. 6, 2013 | IL | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
Nov. 6, 2013 | MI | SB 652 | Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures | Bill Passed - House (57 - 52) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/17 | HB 1234 | Reduces Size of General Assembly | Joint Resolution Passed - House (148 - 50) |
12/11 | HB 4369 | Expands the Education Achievement Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
12/11 | HR 2019 | Kids First Research Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (295 - 103) |
12/05 | H Amdt 524 | Limits Covered Customers to Businesses With Less Than $25 Million in Revenue | Amendment Rejected - House (144 - 266) |
12/05 | H Amdt 521 | Authorizes Judicial Discretion in Awarding Legal Fees in Patent Lawsuits | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 213) |
12/05 | HR 3309 | Innovation Act | Bill Passed - House (325 - 91) |
12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
11/21 | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
11/20 | H Amdt 499 | Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228) |
11/20 | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
11/20 | H Amdt 504 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226) |
11/20 | H Amdt 503 | Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221) |
11/20 | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
11/19 | Amdt 1 | Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
11/19 | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
11/12 | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
11/08 | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (30 - 19) |
11/07 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
11/07 | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
11/06 | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
11/06 | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
11/06 | SB 652 | Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures | Bill Passed - House (57 - 52) |