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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 29, 2019 | NY | S 2374 | Amends Background Check Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| Jan. 29, 2019 | NY | S 2449 | Establishes a Firearm Buyback Program | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 13) |
| Jan. 29, 2019 | NY | S 101 | Prohibits Firearms on School Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| Jan. 29, 2019 | NY | S 2448 | Prohibits Bump Stocks | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 14) |
| Jan. 29, 2019 | NY | S 2451 | Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 21) |
| Jan. 22, 2019 | VA | SB 1012 | Amends Conceal Carry Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Jan. 22, 2019 | SD | SB 47 | Authorizes Concealed Carry to Individuals Without a Permit | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Dec. 27, 2018 | OH | HB 228 | Establishes New Self-Defense and Firearm Handling Rules | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| Dec. 6, 2018 | OH | HB 228 | Establishes New Self-Defense and Firearm Handling Rules | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| Oct. 29, 2018 | NJ | S 2465 | Prohibits 3D Printed Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 0) |
| Oct. 3, 2018 | PA | HB 2060 | Requires Surrender of Firearms in Protection Abuse Situations | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| Aug. 21, 2018 | CA | AB 2103 | Requires Concealed Carry Applicants Complete 8 Hours of Gun Safety Training | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| July 26, 2018 | NJ | S 2846 | Authorizes Police to Carry High Capacity Magazines | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 0) |
| June 7, 2018 | NJ | A 1217 | Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| June 7, 2018 | NJ | A 2761 | Prohibits Firearm Magazines with More than 10 Rounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| June 7, 2018 | NJ | A 1181 | Amends Various Firearm Confiscation Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| June 7, 2018 | NJ | A 2758 | Requires Justifiable Need to Carry a Handgun | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| June 7, 2018 | NJ | A 2757 | Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| May 30, 2018 | IL | SB 337 | Amends Gun Dealer Licensing Rules | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| May 30, 2018 | IL | HB 2354 | Authorizes Courts to Confiscate Firearms from Potentially Dangerous Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| May 29, 2018 | CA | SB 1100 | Increases the Purchasing Age for Firearms to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 8, 2018 | CT | HB 5542 | Prohibits Bump Stocks | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| May 2, 2018 | OK | SB 1212 | Establishes a State Firearm Constitutional Carry Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | SB 101 | Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| March 30, 2018 | VT | S 55 | Amends Various State Gun Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/29 | S 2374 | Amends Background Check Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 1/29 | S 2449 | Establishes a Firearm Buyback Program | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 13) |
| 1/29 | S 101 | Prohibits Firearms on School Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 1/29 | S 2448 | Prohibits Bump Stocks | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 14) |
| 1/29 | S 2451 | Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 21) |
| 1/22 | SB 1012 | Amends Conceal Carry Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 1/22 | SB 47 | Authorizes Concealed Carry to Individuals Without a Permit | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 12/27 | HB 228 | Establishes New Self-Defense and Firearm Handling Rules | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| 12/06 | HB 228 | Establishes New Self-Defense and Firearm Handling Rules | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 10/29 | S 2465 | Prohibits 3D Printed Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 0) |
| 10/03 | HB 2060 | Requires Surrender of Firearms in Protection Abuse Situations | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 8/21 | AB 2103 | Requires Concealed Carry Applicants Complete 8 Hours of Gun Safety Training | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 7/26 | S 2846 | Authorizes Police to Carry High Capacity Magazines | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 0) |
| 6/07 | A 1217 | Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 6/07 | A 2761 | Prohibits Firearm Magazines with More than 10 Rounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 6/07 | A 1181 | Amends Various Firearm Confiscation Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 6/07 | A 2758 | Requires Justifiable Need to Carry a Handgun | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 6/07 | A 2757 | Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 5/30 | SB 337 | Amends Gun Dealer Licensing Rules | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 5/30 | HB 2354 | Authorizes Courts to Confiscate Firearms from Potentially Dangerous Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| 5/29 | SB 1100 | Increases the Purchasing Age for Firearms to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/08 | HB 5542 | Prohibits Bump Stocks | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 5/02 | SB 1212 | Establishes a State Firearm Constitutional Carry Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| 4/03 | SB 101 | Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| 3/30 | S 55 | Amends Various State Gun Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |