Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 3, 2015 National HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
Sept. 16, 2015 MO HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
Sept. 9, 2015 IL HB 1 Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11)
June 25, 2015 NJ S 3100 Requires State to Pay Pension Contributions on Quarterly Basis Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
June 17, 2015 ME LD 319 Authorizes Medicaid Coverage for Reproductive Care "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19)
June 16, 2015 OR HB 2960 Establishes Oregon Retirement Savings Board Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
June 3, 2015 CA SB 185 Requires Public Retirement Systems to Divest from Coal Companies Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
May 26, 2015 MI HB 4041 Amends Requirements to Receive Certain Assistance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
May 5, 2015 National S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 48)
May 4, 2015 MO SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
April 18, 2015 MT SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
April 15, 2015 MO HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
April 14, 2015 MO SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 9)
April 2, 2015 KS HB 2258 Amends Social Service Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
March 30, 2015 MT SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
March 27, 2015 National S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
March 12, 2015 AR HB 1489 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
Feb. 25, 2015 UT SB 164 Establishes Medicaid Expansion Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
Feb. 23, 2015 MO SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Feb. 23, 2015 AZ SB 1092 Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
Feb. 9, 2015 CO SB 65 Prohibits Withdrawing Public Assistance Funds at Certain Places Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/03 HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
9/16 HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
9/09 HB 1 Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11)
6/25 S 3100 Requires State to Pay Pension Contributions on Quarterly Basis Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
6/17 LD 319 Authorizes Medicaid Coverage for Reproductive Care "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19)
6/16 HB 2960 Establishes Oregon Retirement Savings Board Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
6/03 SB 185 Requires Public Retirement Systems to Divest from Coal Companies Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
5/26 HB 4041 Amends Requirements to Receive Certain Assistance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
5/05 S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 48)
5/04 SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
4/18 SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
4/15 HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
4/14 SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 9)
4/02 HB 2258 Amends Social Service Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
3/30 SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
3/27 S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
3/12 HB 1489 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
2/25 SB 164 Establishes Medicaid Expansion Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
2/23 SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
2/23 SB 1092 Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
2/09 SB 65 Prohibits Withdrawing Public Assistance Funds at Certain Places Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)

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