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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2006 | KS | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Veto Override Passed - House (91 - 33) |
| March 22, 2006 | KS | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| March 21, 2006 | MI | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - House (86 - 17) |
| March 16, 2006 | AZ | HB 2649 | Firearms; Possession; Storage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 23) |
| March 15, 2006 | OH | Amdt. HB 9 | Concealed Weapons Permit Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (51 - 43) |
| March 14, 2006 | KS | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - House (90 - 33) |
| March 8, 2006 | MS | HB 1089 | Wildlife Feeding Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
| March 6, 2006 | AZ | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency. | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 3) |
| March 6, 2006 | ID | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - House (49 - 12) |
| March 2, 2006 | GA | SCS SB 396 | Use of Deadly Force | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| March 1, 2006 | UT | HB 328 | Eliminating The Age Requirement For Hunting Small Game | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| Feb. 28, 2006 | IN | HB 1028 | Firearms and Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2006 | UT | HB 329 | Big Game Hunting Age | Bill Passed - House (41 - 26) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | KY | HCS HB 290 | Concealed Weapons Permit Classification | Bill Passed - House (89 - 7) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | KS | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Feb. 7, 2006 | AZ | HB 2074 | Concealed Weapons; Training Requirement; Renewal | Bill Passed - House (33 - 24) |
| Feb. 3, 2006 | MS | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | IN | HB 1028 | Firearms and Self-Defense | Bill Passed - House (82 - 18) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | WI | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Failed - House (64 - 34) |
| Jan. 26, 2006 | WI | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Jan. 17, 2006 | WI | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |
| Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| Oct. 20, 2005 | National | S 397 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 144) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | S 397 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1626 | Child Safety Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| March 2, 2004 | National | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| July 10, 2002 | National | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| June 18, 1999 | National | H Amdt 216 | 72 Hour Background Check Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 235) |
| June 18, 1999 | National | H Amdt 215 | 24 Hour Background Check Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 211) |
| June 18, 1999 | National | HR 2122 | Mandatory Gun Show Background Check Act | Bill Failed - House (147 - 280) |
| May 20, 1999 | National | S Amdt 362 | Gun Show Sale Regulation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| July 21, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Feb. 24, 1998 | National | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| March 22, 1996 | National | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
| May 5, 1994 | National | HR 4296 | Regulation of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Bill Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| Nov. 23, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
| Nov. 20, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Nov. 10, 1993 | National | H Amdt 390 | Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192) |
| Nov. 10, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 189) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Veto Override Passed - House (91 - 33) |
| 3/22 | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| 3/21 | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - House (86 - 17) |
| 3/16 | HB 2649 | Firearms; Possession; Storage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 23) |
| 3/15 | Amdt. HB 9 | Concealed Weapons Permit Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (51 - 43) |
| 3/14 | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - House (90 - 33) |
| 3/08 | HB 1089 | Wildlife Feeding Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
| 3/06 | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency. | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 3) |
| 3/06 | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - House (49 - 12) |
| 3/02 | SCS SB 396 | Use of Deadly Force | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| 3/01 | HB 328 | Eliminating The Age Requirement For Hunting Small Game | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 2/28 | HB 1028 | Firearms and Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| 2/20 | HB 329 | Big Game Hunting Age | Bill Passed - House (41 - 26) |
| 2/15 | HCS HB 290 | Concealed Weapons Permit Classification | Bill Passed - House (89 - 7) |
| 2/09 | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 2/07 | HB 2074 | Concealed Weapons; Training Requirement; Renewal | Bill Passed - House (33 - 24) |
| 2/03 | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
| 2/01 | HB 1028 | Firearms and Self-Defense | Bill Passed - House (82 - 18) |
| 1/31 | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Failed - House (64 - 34) |
| 1/26 | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 1/17 | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 1/09 | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |
| 1/09 | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| 10/20 | S 397 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 144) |
| 7/29 | S 397 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 7/28 | S Amdt 1626 | Child Safety Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 3/02 | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 7/10 | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| 6/18 | H Amdt 216 | 72 Hour Background Check Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 235) |
| 6/18 | H Amdt 215 | 24 Hour Background Check Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 211) |
| 6/18 | HR 2122 | Mandatory Gun Show Background Check Act | Bill Failed - House (147 - 280) |
| 5/20 | S Amdt 362 | Gun Show Sale Regulation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 7/21 | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 2/24 | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| 3/22 | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
| 5/05 | HR 4296 | Regulation of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Bill Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| 11/23 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
| 11/20 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 11/10 | H Amdt 390 | Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192) |
| 11/10 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 189) |