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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 4, 2012 | NJ | S 1761 | Requires more Transparancy and Accountability from Port Authority | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Oct. 4, 2012 | NJ | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Oct. 3, 2012 | PA | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
| Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
| Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - House (53 - 21) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2012 | MD | SB 1 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (71 - 59) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | HR 6233 | Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 197) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/04 | S 1761 | Requires more Transparancy and Accountability from Port Authority | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 10/04 | S 2135 | Establishes the New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 10/03 | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
| 9/25 | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| 9/21 | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| 9/14 | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
| 9/13 | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| 9/12 | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| 8/31 | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33) |
| 8/30 | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 8/30 | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21) |
| 8/30 | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 8/29 | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 8/28 | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| 8/27 | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24) |
| 8/27 | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 29) |
| 8/22 | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/22 | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/22 | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - House (53 - 21) |
| 8/20 | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 8/14 | SB 1 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (71 - 59) |
| 8/02 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 8/02 | HR 6233 | Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 197) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/25 | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |