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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Aug. 20, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Bill Passed - House (42 - 25) |
| Aug. 14, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Bill Passed - House (50 - 19) |
| Aug. 14, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Bill Passed - House (50 - 19) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| July 30, 2014 | National | H Res 676 | Providing for Authority to Initiate Litigation for Actions by the President or Other Executive Branch Officials Inconsistent with Their Duties Under the Constitution of the United States | Resolution Passed - House (225 - 201) |
| July 23, 2014 | MA | S 2283 | Authorizes Withdrawal Orders around Reproductive Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (116 - 35) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - House (131 - 18) |
| July 16, 2014 | National | H Amdt 1098 | Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws | Amendment Adopted - House (241 - 181) |
| July 9, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| July 9, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| July 9, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| July 1, 2014 | MA | Amdt 17 | Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7) |
| June 26, 2014 | DE | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Adopted - House (29 - 12) |
| June 25, 2014 | DE | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Rejected - House (24 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/26 | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 8/26 | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 8/21 | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 8/21 | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 8/21 | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 8/20 | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Bill Passed - House (42 - 25) |
| 8/14 | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Bill Passed - House (50 - 19) |
| 8/14 | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Bill Passed - House (50 - 19) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| 7/30 | H Res 676 | Providing for Authority to Initiate Litigation for Actions by the President or Other Executive Branch Officials Inconsistent with Their Duties Under the Constitution of the United States | Resolution Passed - House (225 - 201) |
| 7/23 | S 2283 | Authorizes Withdrawal Orders around Reproductive Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (116 - 35) |
| 7/16 | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| 7/16 | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - House (131 - 18) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 1098 | Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws | Amendment Adopted - House (241 - 181) |
| 7/09 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 7/09 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 7/09 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 7/01 | Amdt 17 | Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 6/26 | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Adopted - House (29 - 12) |
| 6/25 | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Rejected - House (24 - 15) |