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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2013 | TX | HB 1009 | Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools | Bill Passed - House (123 - 22) |
| May 1, 2013 | TX | HB 489 | Expands Access to Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD | Bill Passed - House (120 - 21) |
| April 30, 2013 | TX | SB 1907 | Authorizes Firearms in Vehicles on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| April 26, 2013 | TX | HB 148 | Prohibits Multiple Ballots from Being Turned in by 1 Individual | Bill Passed - House (93 - 48) |
| April 18, 2013 | TX | HB 63 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (97 - 45) |
| April 10, 2013 | TX | SB 1467 | Requires Facilitation of Expansion of Firearms Manufacturers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 53) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 25, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| May 23, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| May 16, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| May 13, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 4, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| April 3, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (98 - 49) |
| March 24, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (101 - 48) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| May 31, 2009 | TX | HB 537 | Increase Required Age for Seatbelts | Conference Report Adopted - House (105 - 34) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 19, 2009 | TX | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/06 | HB 1009 | Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools | Bill Passed - House (123 - 22) |
| 5/01 | HB 489 | Expands Access to Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD | Bill Passed - House (120 - 21) |
| 4/30 | SB 1907 | Authorizes Firearms in Vehicles on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 4/26 | HB 148 | Prohibits Multiple Ballots from Being Turned in by 1 Individual | Bill Passed - House (93 - 48) |
| 4/18 | HB 63 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (97 - 45) |
| 4/10 | SB 1467 | Requires Facilitation of Expansion of Firearms Manufacturers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 53) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/25 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| 5/23 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| 5/16 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| 5/13 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| 5/09 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/09 | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/04 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 4/03 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (98 - 49) |
| 3/24 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (101 - 48) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 5/31 | HB 537 | Increase Required Age for Seatbelts | Conference Report Adopted - House (105 - 34) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/19 | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |