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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Jan. 29, 2009 National HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
Jan. 14, 2009 National HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
Jan. 26, 2009 WY HB 98 Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sexual Assault of a Minor Bill Failed - House (20 - 39)
Jan. 28, 2009 WY SF 65 Ban on Texting While Driving Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)
Jan. 28, 2009 AR HB 1119 Prohibiting Cell Phone Use While Driving for Specific Age Groups Bill Passed - House (62 - 27)
Feb. 2, 2009 ND SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10)
Feb. 3, 2009 MT HB 157 Children's Health Insurance Program Appropriations and Amendments Bill Passed - House (60 - 40)
Feb. 6, 2009 ND HB 1508 State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts Bill Failed - House (28 - 64)
Feb. 5, 2009 VA HB 1826 Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences Bill Passed - House (68 - 28)
Feb. 24, 2009 VA HB 1826 Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
Jan. 29, 2009 WY HB 190 Suspending Driver's Licenses for Nonpayment of Child Support Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
May 4, 2009 CO HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 26)
April 27, 2009 CO HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13)
Feb. 9, 2009 CO HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)
Feb. 25, 2009 NM SB 44 Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
March 4, 2009 UT SB 61 Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16)
March 31, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
March 26, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
March 18, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
March 11, 2009 NH SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
March 16, 2009 ID S 1089 Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15)
March 9, 2009 AR HB 1700 Expanding Eligibility for Children's Health Insurance Program Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
March 9, 2009 UT SB 225 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
March 4, 2009 MI HB 4132 School Attendance Amendments Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
March 9, 2009 UT HB 171 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 23)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/29 HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
1/14 HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
1/26 HB 98 Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sexual Assault of a Minor Bill Failed - House (20 - 39)
1/28 SF 65 Ban on Texting While Driving Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)
1/28 HB 1119 Prohibiting Cell Phone Use While Driving for Specific Age Groups Bill Passed - House (62 - 27)
2/02 SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10)
2/03 HB 157 Children's Health Insurance Program Appropriations and Amendments Bill Passed - House (60 - 40)
2/06 HB 1508 State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts Bill Failed - House (28 - 64)
2/05 HB 1826 Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences Bill Passed - House (68 - 28)
2/24 HB 1826 Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
1/29 HB 190 Suspending Driver's Licenses for Nonpayment of Child Support Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
5/04 HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 26)
4/27 HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13)
2/09 HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)
2/25 SB 44 Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
3/04 SB 61 Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16)
3/31 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
3/26 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
3/18 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
3/11 SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
3/16 S 1089 Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15)
3/09 HB 1700 Expanding Eligibility for Children's Health Insurance Program Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
3/09 SB 225 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
3/04 HB 4132 School Attendance Amendments Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
3/09 HB 171 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 23)

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