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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2020 | CO | SB 20-213 | Extends State Take-Out Regulations for Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 1) |
| June 10, 2020 | MI | SB 942 | Extends To-Go and Delivery Options to Cocktails | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 1) |
| June 5, 2020 | IA | SF 2413 | Increases Penalties for Trespassing on Animal Food Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11) |
| May 31, 2020 | LA | SB 508 | Limits Liability of Restaurants During the COVID-19 Epidemic | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 0) |
| May 14, 2020 | NJ | S 2437 | Limits Fees Charged to Restaurants by Third-Party Food Delivery Applications | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
| March 17, 2020 | MD | HB 732 | Increases Tobacco Tax and Establishes Vaping Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 16) |
| March 10, 2020 | WA | SB 5947 | Establishes the Sustainable Farms and Fields Grant Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 6) |
| March 5, 2020 | NJ | A 2371 | Requires Recycling of Food Waste | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 3, 2020 | MD | SB 300 | Prohibits Use of Chlorpyrifos | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Feb. 27, 2020 | VA | HB 119 | Requires Milk be Defined as the Lacteal Secretion Obtained by the Complete Milking of a Hooved Animal | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2020 | WA | SB 6261 | Expands Farm Labor Contractor System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Jan. 16, 2020 | MA | H 4218 | Requires School Districts Offer Breakfast After Instruction Begins | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 0) |
| Nov. 7, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| Nov. 7, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| Oct. 24, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Oct. 24, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| June 27, 2019 | NJ | A 3726 | Requires Food Waste Recycling Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 27, 2019 | DE | HB 79 | Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| June 19, 2019 | NY | S 2000 | Establishes Regulations for PFAS Chemicals in Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6) |
| June 17, 2019 | NC | SB 315 | Establishes Regulations on Hemp and Other Farming Industries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| June 4, 2019 | LA | SB 152 | Establishes Definitions for Meat and Beef | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 58 | Authorizes Bars to Remain Open Until 3 AM | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| May 7, 2019 | PA | SB 588 | Exempts Milk Haulers from Travel Bans Imposed During Emergency Disasters | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| May 7, 2019 | PA | SB 453 | Authorizes Annual Farming Construction Code Building Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| May 2, 2019 | MO | SB 391 | Prohibits Local Officials from Regulating Industrial Farms | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| April 1, 2019 | NY | A 558 | Increases Age for Tobacco Sale Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 9) |
| March 12, 2019 | SD | HB 1191 | Authorizes the Cultivation of Industrial Hemp | Veto Override Failed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 12, 2019 | IA | SF 519 | Establishes Trespass Charges for Undercover Investigators at Certain Agricultural Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Feb. 26, 2019 | UT | SB 132 | Increases Alcohol Cap for Beer Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| Feb. 20, 2019 | KS | SB 32 | Authorizes The Farm Bureau To Offer Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| Dec. 11, 2018 | National | HR 2 | Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 13) |
| Aug. 21, 2018 | CA | SB 1192 | Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| June 28, 2018 | CA | AB 1838 | Prohibits Local Grocery Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| June 28, 2018 | MA | H 4479 | Increases Minimum Purchase Age for Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| June 28, 2018 | National | HR 2 | Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 11) |
| June 27, 2018 | NC | HB 374 | Limits Nuisance Damages Against Livestock Farmers | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 11) |
| June 27, 2018 | DE | HB 165 | Authorizes Shipment of Wine from Out-of-State Sellers | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| June 26, 2018 | NC | SB 711 | Limits Nuisance Damages Against Livestock Farmers | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| June 20, 2018 | ME | LD 1584 | Expands Local Food Economy by Promoting Local Foods Procurement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| May 31, 2018 | CA | SB 1138 | Requires Prisons to Provide Vegan Meal Options | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
| May 30, 2018 | CA | SB 905 | Authorizes Alcohol Sales Until 4 AM | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| May 2, 2018 | RI | S 2350 | Prohibits Advertising Unhealthy Food in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| Feb. 22, 2018 | KS | SB 405 | Authorizes Confined Feeding Facilities Within City Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Feb. 5, 2018 | MS | SB 2588 | Authorizes Localities to Designate Open Container Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| Oct. 12, 2017 | MI | HB 4999 | Prohibits Localities from Taxing Foods and Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Sept. 5, 2017 | CA | AB 841 | Restricts Marketing of Unhealthy Foods in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| June 28, 2017 | NC | SB 615 | Amends Agricultural Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 10) |
| June 14, 2017 | WI | SB 68 | Amends Prohibition on Baiting and Feeding Deer | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| April 11, 2017 | WA | HB 1493 | Regulates Commercial Use of Biometric Data | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| March 14, 2017 | IA | SF 447 | Limits Nuisance Damages Against Livestock Farmers | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |