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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 5, 2019 | WI | SB 49 | Prohibits Prostitution Charges Against Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | SB 310 | Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 1215 | Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 963 | Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Aug. 19, 2019 | CA | AB 467 | Requires Competitions Held on Public Lands to Offer Equal Prize Compensation Regardless of Gender | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0) |
| July 8, 2019 | CA | AB 392 | Increases Public Oversight and Police Accountability when Deadly Use of Force is Used | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3) |
| June 19, 2019 | NY | S 3909 | Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0) |
| June 17, 2019 | NY | S 6209 | Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16) |
| June 14, 2019 | NY | S 5864 | Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 777 | Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1529 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| June 5, 2019 | ME | LD 795 | Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 4, 2019 | ME | LD 665 | Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| June 3, 2019 | OR | HB 3216 | Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1) |
| May 30, 2019 | AL | HB 225 | Prohibits Pay Discrimination Based on Sex and Race | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 0) |
| May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 608 | Expands Definition of Gender Discrimination | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 30, 2019 | IL | HB 3394 | Requires Women and African Americans on Corporate Boards | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 105 | Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| May 29, 2019 | IL | HB 3534 | Establishes a Non-Binary Gender Option on IDs | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| May 23, 2019 | IL | HB 246 | Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| May 23, 2019 | CA | SB 329 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| May 22, 2019 | IL | HB 834 | Requires Equal Pay | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
| May 22, 2019 | NV | AB 431 | Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| May 21, 2019 | ME | LD 1025 | Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |