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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2011 | IL | HB 3499 | Firearm Waiting Period Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 34) |
| April 9, 2011 | AK | HB 80 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force | Bill Passed - House (33 - 6) |
| March 30, 2011 | NC | HB 111 | Concealed Handguns in Restaurants and State Parks | Bill Passed - House (74 - 42) |
| March 25, 2011 | AR | HB 1958 | Authorizes Concealed Handguns In Places of Worship | Bill Passed - House (65 - 23) |
| March 16, 2011 | ID | H 222 | Authorizes Guns on Campus | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
| March 15, 2011 | NH | HB 330 | Carrying Firearms Without a License | Bill Passed - House (244 - 109) |
| March 2, 2011 | CO | HB 1205 | Authorizing the Concealed Carry of a Firearm Without a Permit | Bill Passed - House (40 - 25) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | MT | HB 381 | Criminalizing Enforcement of Certain Federal Firearms Laws | Bill Failed - House (38 - 61) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | MT | HB 271 | Authorizes Concealed-Carry Without a Permit | Bill Passed - House (54 - 41) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | UT | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | UT | HB 219 | Official State Gun Designation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 24) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | MT | HB 384 | Concealed Weapons in Prohibited Places | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 9, 2011 | WY | HB 207 | Allowing Guns in Cars While Parked at Work | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | UT | HB 223 | Innkeeper's Rights Act Modification | Bill Failed - House (22 - 48) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 35) |
| Oct. 5, 2010 | PA | HB 40 | Self Defense Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (159 - 38) |
| July 28, 2010 | National | HR 5827 | Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes | Bill Passed - House (307 - 113) |
| June 17, 2010 | LA | HB 1272 | Authorizing Handguns in of Places of Worship | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| June 4, 2010 | TN | SB 3012 | Guns in Bars | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 30) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 1810 | Expanded Firearm Registration | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | AB 1934 | Amendments to the Penal Code Regarding Firearms | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| May 6, 2010 | LA | HB 68 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Places of Worship | Bill Failed - House (45 - 39) |
| May 4, 2010 | OK | HB 3354 | Concealed and Unconcealed Weapons Guidelines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| March 29, 2010 | IA | SF 2379 | Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| March 24, 2010 | NH | HB 1693 | Prohibiting Legislative Facilities Committee From Adopting Additional Weapons Regulations | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (191 - 167) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | HB 3499 | Firearm Waiting Period Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 34) |
| 4/09 | HB 80 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force | Bill Passed - House (33 - 6) |
| 3/30 | HB 111 | Concealed Handguns in Restaurants and State Parks | Bill Passed - House (74 - 42) |
| 3/25 | HB 1958 | Authorizes Concealed Handguns In Places of Worship | Bill Passed - House (65 - 23) |
| 3/16 | H 222 | Authorizes Guns on Campus | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
| 3/15 | HB 330 | Carrying Firearms Without a License | Bill Passed - House (244 - 109) |
| 3/02 | HB 1205 | Authorizing the Concealed Carry of a Firearm Without a Permit | Bill Passed - House (40 - 25) |
| 2/23 | HB 381 | Criminalizing Enforcement of Certain Federal Firearms Laws | Bill Failed - House (38 - 61) |
| 2/22 | HB 271 | Authorizes Concealed-Carry Without a Permit | Bill Passed - House (54 - 41) |
| 2/16 | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| 2/15 | HB 219 | Official State Gun Designation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 24) |
| 2/10 | HB 384 | Concealed Weapons in Prohibited Places | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 2/09 | HB 207 | Allowing Guns in Cars While Parked at Work | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| 2/03 | HB 223 | Innkeeper's Rights Act Modification | Bill Failed - House (22 - 48) |
| 11/15 | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 35) |
| 10/05 | HB 40 | Self Defense Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (159 - 38) |
| 7/28 | HR 5827 | Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes | Bill Passed - House (307 - 113) |
| 6/17 | HB 1272 | Authorizing Handguns in of Places of Worship | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| 6/04 | SB 3012 | Guns in Bars | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 30) |
| 6/03 | AB 1810 | Expanded Firearm Registration | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| 6/01 | AB 1934 | Amendments to the Penal Code Regarding Firearms | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 5/06 | HB 68 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Places of Worship | Bill Failed - House (45 - 39) |
| 5/04 | HB 3354 | Concealed and Unconcealed Weapons Guidelines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| 3/29 | SF 2379 | Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| 3/24 | HB 1693 | Prohibiting Legislative Facilities Committee From Adopting Additional Weapons Regulations | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (191 - 167) |