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, 2020 ID H 516 Amends Constitutional Carry Laws Bill Passed - House (56 - 14)
Feb. 27, 2020 WY HB 118 Establishes the Second Amendment Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (49 - 9)
Feb. 27, 2020 IA HF 2502 Amends Gun Policies Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
Feb. 27, 2020 MN HF 9 Authorizes Extreme Risk Productive Orders Bill Passed - House (68 - 62)
Feb. 26, 2020 VA SB 35 Authorizes Localities to Prohibit Guns at Public Events Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
Feb. 20, 2020 NH HB 1379 Requires a Background Check for Firearm Sales "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (196 - 152)
Feb. 19, 2020 NH HB 1101 Establishes a Waiting Period after Purchasing a Firearm Bill Passed - House (184 - 134)
Feb. 13, 2020 WA HB 2467 Establishes a Background Check System for Firearms Transfers Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
Feb. 11, 2020 VA HB 961 Prohibits the Sale or Transportation of Assault Weapons or Magazines Holding 12 or More Rounds Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
Feb. 7, 2020 KY SB 8 Requires School Districts Have Armed School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (78 - 8)
Feb. 4, 2020 MD HB 4 Requires Background Checks for Private Sales of Long Guns Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)
Jan. 30, 2020 VA HB 674 Authorizes Removing Firearms from Persons Posing Substantial Risk Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
Jan. 23, 2020 WA HB 1010 Requires the Disposition of Forfeited Firearms Bill Passed - House (56 - 42)
Jan. 14, 2020 MI HB 4020 Authorizes the Sale of Stun Guns to Individuals Over the Age of 18 Bill Passed - House (84 - 24)
Jan. 8, 2020 NH HB 687 Establishes a Procedure for Extreme Risk Protection Orders Bill Passed - House (201 - 176)
Dec. 16, 2019 NJ A 4260 Prohibits the Sale of Certain Toy Guns or Imitation Firearms Bill Passed - House (54 - 19)
Oct. 30, 2019 PA SB 147 Establishes Hunting Regulations on Sundays Bill Passed - House (144 - 54)
Sept. 13, 2019 CA SB 61 Prohibits Purchasing More than One Gun per Month Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
Sept. 11, 2019 CA SB 172 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
June 27, 2019 PA SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
June 20, 2019 NJ S 3897 Prohibits Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes from Purchasing Guns Bill Passed - House (58 - 10)
June 20, 2019 NJ S 101 Requires Firearm Retailers to Sell Personalized Handguns Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 5455 Amends Ammunition Sale Regulations Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 5453 Increases Penalties for Illegal Firearm Transfers Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 5452 Amends Firearm Identification and Training Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 24)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/27 H 516 Amends Constitutional Carry Laws Bill Passed - House (56 - 14)
2/27 HB 118 Establishes the Second Amendment Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (49 - 9)
2/27 HF 2502 Amends Gun Policies Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
2/27 HF 9 Authorizes Extreme Risk Productive Orders Bill Passed - House (68 - 62)
2/26 SB 35 Authorizes Localities to Prohibit Guns at Public Events Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
2/20 HB 1379 Requires a Background Check for Firearm Sales "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (196 - 152)
2/19 HB 1101 Establishes a Waiting Period after Purchasing a Firearm Bill Passed - House (184 - 134)
2/13 HB 2467 Establishes a Background Check System for Firearms Transfers Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
2/11 HB 961 Prohibits the Sale or Transportation of Assault Weapons or Magazines Holding 12 or More Rounds Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
2/07 SB 8 Requires School Districts Have Armed School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (78 - 8)
2/04 HB 4 Requires Background Checks for Private Sales of Long Guns Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)
1/30 HB 674 Authorizes Removing Firearms from Persons Posing Substantial Risk Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
1/23 HB 1010 Requires the Disposition of Forfeited Firearms Bill Passed - House (56 - 42)
1/14 HB 4020 Authorizes the Sale of Stun Guns to Individuals Over the Age of 18 Bill Passed - House (84 - 24)
1/08 HB 687 Establishes a Procedure for Extreme Risk Protection Orders Bill Passed - House (201 - 176)
12/16 A 4260 Prohibits the Sale of Certain Toy Guns or Imitation Firearms Bill Passed - House (54 - 19)
10/30 SB 147 Establishes Hunting Regulations on Sundays Bill Passed - House (144 - 54)
9/13 SB 61 Prohibits Purchasing More than One Gun per Month Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
9/11 SB 172 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
6/27 SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
6/20 S 3897 Prohibits Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes from Purchasing Guns Bill Passed - House (58 - 10)
6/20 S 101 Requires Firearm Retailers to Sell Personalized Handguns Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
6/20 A 5455 Amends Ammunition Sale Regulations Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
6/20 A 5453 Increases Penalties for Illegal Firearm Transfers Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
6/20 A 5452 Amends Firearm Identification and Training Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 24)

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