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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2021 | AL | SB 267 | Prohibits Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccine Passports | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 0) |
| April 7, 2021 | NH | CACR 8 | Prohibits Restrictions on the Right to Own, Carry, or Use Firearms | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 174) |
| April 1, 2021 | OR | SB 398 | Establishes the Presence of a Noose as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 1) |
| March 30, 2021 | DE | SB 72 | Classifies Discrimination Against Any Person Because of their Religion as Illegal | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0) |
| March 29, 2021 | CO | HB 21-1011 | Requires Providing Multilingual Ballot Access | Bill Passed - House (40 - 23) |
| March 25, 2021 | IL | HB 158 | Reduces Racial Disparities in Medical Care | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 16) |
| March 23, 2021 | MI | SB 257 | Prohibits Banning Family Gatherings During the Pandemic | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 22, 2021 | NV | SB 103 | Prohibits Insurance Companies from Discriminating Based on a Dog's Breed | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 3) |
| March 18, 2021 | IL | HB 158 | Reduces Racial Disparities in Medical Care | Bill Passed - House (72 - 41) |
| March 17, 2021 | National | H J Res 17 | Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204) |
| March 16, 2021 | WI | SJR 20 | Establishes February 2021 as Black History Month and Honors Black Legislators | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (11 - 20) |
| March 16, 2021 | IA | HF 802 | Limits the Types of Diversity Training Schools and Governments May Offer | Bill Passed - House (59 - 38) |
| March 15, 2021 | AR | SB 289 | Authorizes Denial of Healthcare on the Basis of Religious Principles | Bill Passed - House (72 - 20) |
| March 11, 2021 | ME | LD 2 | Requires the State Legislature to Assess the Racial Impact of Pending Legislation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| March 4, 2021 | SD | HCR 6013 | Specifies that the 2nd Amendment is Protected from Federal Overreach | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 20) |
| March 4, 2021 | WV | SB 11 | Prohibits Work Stoppages or Strikes by Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| March 4, 2021 | OK | HB 1602 | Establishes Computer Data Privacy Protections | Bill Passed - House (85 - 11) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1 | For the People Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 210) |
| March 2, 2021 | SD | HCR 6013 | Specifies that the 2nd Amendment is Protected from Federal Overreach | Bill Passed - House (62 - 7) |
| March 1, 2021 | MT | SB 215 | Limits State and Local Governmental Authority Over a Religious Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Feb. 27, 2021 | VA | SJ 272 | Amends the Qualifications to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 27, 2021 | VA | SJ 272 | Amends the Qualifications to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 40) |
| Feb. 25, 2021 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (224 - 206) |
| Feb. 24, 2021 | NY | S 830 | Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 20) |