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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 15, 2026 | MA | S 3028 | Establishes New Protections for Pets | Bill Passed - House (151 - 1) |
| July 3, 2026 | MI | SB 294 | Increases Penalties and Authorizes Restitution in Animal Abuse Cases | Bill Passed - House (84 - 24) |
| June 3, 2026 | National | S 254 | Alaska's Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition (ARTIST) Act | Bill Passed - House (404 - 14) |
| April 22, 2026 | CO | HB 26-1342 | Increases Penalties for Luring Wild Bears | Bill Passed - House (40 - 25) |
| April 8, 2026 | AL | SB 361 | Establishes Requirements for the Wellbeing of Dogs Kept Outside | Bill Passed - House (69 - 23) |
| March 19, 2026 | National | HR 4638 | Federal Working Animal Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 190) |
| March 18, 2026 | National | HR 556 | Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act | Bill Passed - House (215 - 202) |
| March 17, 2026 | National | HR 4294 | Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act of 2026 | Bill Passed - House (320 - 66) |
| Feb. 18, 2026 | CO | HB 26-1067 | Expands Use of the Diseased Livestock Indemnity Fund | Bill Passed - House (58 - 1) |
| Feb. 4, 2026 | MI | HB 4445 | Repeals the Ban on Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 38) |
| Jan. 30, 2026 | AK | HB 93 | Establishes Residency Requirements for Hunting and Fishing Privileges | Bill Passed - House (27 - 12) |
| Dec. 18, 2025 | National | HR 845 | Pet and Livestock Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (211 - 204) |
| Dec. 9, 2025 | National | HR 1676 | Make State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) Efficient Act of 2025 | Bill Passed - House (400 - 0) |
| Sept. 29, 2025 | PA | HB 97 | Establishes Regulations Regarding Pets in Division of Property Proceedings | Bill Passed - House (121 - 82) |
| Sept. 9, 2025 | CA | AB 506 | Expands Requirements for Disclosures Included in Pet Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 4) |
| Sept. 9, 2025 | MI | HB 4012 | Authorizes EMS to Transport Retired Police Dogs for Emergency Medical Treatment | Bill Passed - House (61 - 43) |
| Sept. 8, 2025 | CA | SB 312 | Requires Dog Importers to Submit Health Certifications to the CDFA | Bill Passed - House (78 - 0) |
| Sept. 4, 2025 | CA | AB 1042 | Authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to Establish and Oversee the Managed Honeybee Health Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 0) |
| Sept. 3, 2025 | CA | AB 516 | Authorizes Registered Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants to Perform Certain Animal Health Care Services | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (77 - 2) |
| July 22, 2025 | National | HR 1917 | Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act | Bill Passed - House (360 - 57) |
| July 14, 2025 | National | S 1596 | Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act | Bill Passed - House (372 - 0) |
| June 30, 2025 | PA | HB 1431 | Repeals the Prohibition on Sunday Hunting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (142 - 61) |
| June 11, 2025 | PA | HB 1431 | Repeals the Prohibition on Sunday Hunting | Bill Passed - House (131 - 72) |
| June 3, 2025 | OR | SB 777 | Increases Compensation to Ranchers for Wolf Kills | Bill Passed - House (44 - 12) |
| June 2, 2025 | CA | AB 1 | Requires Wildfire Regulations to be Updated | Bill Passed - House (79 - 0) |