Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


Page 1 of 4
results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 1, 2012 SD SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Motion Agreed - House (39 - 25)
Oct. 17, 2012 PA SB 850 Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
Aug. 20, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29)
Aug. 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
Aug. 16, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2348 Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
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)
April 10, 2012 MS SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
March 27, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
Aug. 28, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
Oct. 17, 2012 PA HB 815 Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
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 27, 2012 TN SB 3310 Requires Abstinence-Centered Sex Education in Schools Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
Jan. 9, 2012 NJ A 4366 Amending Annulment Requirements and Eliminating Marriage Wait Period Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/01 SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Motion Agreed - House (39 - 25)
10/17 SB 850 Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
8/20 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
8/27 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 26)
8/29 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
8/27 AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29)
8/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
8/16 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
4/03 HB 2348 Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
12/14 SB 756 Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (74 - 33)
2/28 H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
5/09 H Amdt 1096 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171)
4/10 SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
2/28 SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
3/27 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
8/28 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
10/17 HB 815 Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
8/27 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
4/27 SB 3310 Requires Abstinence-Centered Sex Education in Schools Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
8/22 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
8/22 AB 2109 Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
1/09 A 4366 Amending Annulment Requirements and Eliminating Marriage Wait Period Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)

Page 1 of 4
arrow_upward