Key Votes

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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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 27, 2018 OR HB 4135 Authorizes Healthcare Providers to Make Decisions for End of Life Patients Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
Feb. 26, 2018 NJ S 493 Authorizes Transgender Death Certificates Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
Feb. 15, 2018 National S Amdt 1955 Uniting and Securing America Act (Coons-McCain Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
Feb. 15, 2018 National S Amdt 1959 Secure and Succeed Act (Grassley Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (39 - 60)
Feb. 15, 2018 National S Amdt 1958 Immigration Security and Opportunity Act (Schumer Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
Feb. 15, 2018 National S Amdt 1948 Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
Jan. 19, 2018 WA SB 5766 Requires School Districts to Adopt Transgender Student Policies and Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
Jan. 18, 2018 National S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Jan. 3, 2018 NH HB 372 Amends Definition of Residency for Voting Purposes "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9)
June 19, 2017 NJ S 3067 Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
May 31, 2017 IL HB 1785 Authorizes Birth Certificate Changes for Transgender People Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
May 30, 2017 IL HB 2462 Prohibits Screening Job Applicants Based on Wage or Salary History Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
May 11, 2017 AL SB 200 Prohibits Criminal History Inquiries by Employers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
May 9, 2017 AZ SB 1384 Prohibits Censorship of Student Media Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
April 27, 2017 TX HB 89 Prohibits Contracts with Companies Boycotting Israel Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
April 27, 2017 MI SB 163 Authorizes "Choose Life" License Plates Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
April 26, 2017 LA SB 16 Provides Parole Eligibility to Juveniles Sentenced to Life in Prison Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
April 24, 2017 NE LB 75 Restores Voting Rights Upon Completion of a Felony Sentence Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
April 17, 2017 AZ SB 1406 Limits Applicability of Disability Lawsuits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
April 11, 2017 AL SB 193 Authorizes Briarwood Presbyterian Church to Form a Police Force Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
April 7, 2017 WA HB 1595 Establishes Fees for Printed and Digital Copies of Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 4)
April 4, 2017 TX SB 576 Establishes Reporting Standards for Sexual Assault on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 1)
March 30, 2017 MN HF 3 Requires REAL ID Compliance Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 7)
March 28, 2017 ND HB 1310 Amends Concealed Carry Laws Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 27)
March 23, 2017 IA HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/27 HB 4135 Authorizes Healthcare Providers to Make Decisions for End of Life Patients Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
2/26 S 493 Authorizes Transgender Death Certificates Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
2/15 S Amdt 1955 Uniting and Securing America Act (Coons-McCain Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
2/15 S Amdt 1959 Secure and Succeed Act (Grassley Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (39 - 60)
2/15 S Amdt 1958 Immigration Security and Opportunity Act (Schumer Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
2/15 S Amdt 1948 Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
1/19 SB 5766 Requires School Districts to Adopt Transgender Student Policies and Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
1/18 S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
1/03 HB 372 Amends Definition of Residency for Voting Purposes "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9)
6/19 S 3067 Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
5/31 HB 1785 Authorizes Birth Certificate Changes for Transgender People Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
5/30 HB 2462 Prohibits Screening Job Applicants Based on Wage or Salary History Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
5/11 SB 200 Prohibits Criminal History Inquiries by Employers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
5/09 SB 1384 Prohibits Censorship of Student Media Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
4/27 HB 89 Prohibits Contracts with Companies Boycotting Israel Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
4/27 SB 163 Authorizes "Choose Life" License Plates Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
4/26 SB 16 Provides Parole Eligibility to Juveniles Sentenced to Life in Prison Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/24 LB 75 Restores Voting Rights Upon Completion of a Felony Sentence Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
4/17 SB 1406 Limits Applicability of Disability Lawsuits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
4/11 SB 193 Authorizes Briarwood Presbyterian Church to Form a Police Force Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
4/07 HB 1595 Establishes Fees for Printed and Digital Copies of Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 4)
4/04 SB 576 Establishes Reporting Standards for Sexual Assault on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 1)
3/30 HF 3 Requires REAL ID Compliance Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 7)
3/28 HB 1310 Amends Concealed Carry Laws Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 27)
3/23 HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)

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