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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 13, 2020 | WA | HB 2638 | Authorizes Sports Betting | Bill Passed - House (83 - 14) |
| Feb. 13, 2020 | WA | HB 2467 | Establishes a Background Check System for Firearms Transfers | Bill Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| Feb. 13, 2020 | National | H J Res 79 | Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment | Bill Passed - House (232 - 183) |
| Feb. 12, 2020 | OK | HB 2336 | Authorizes Handguns on the Premises of Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 7) |
| Feb. 12, 2020 | WA | HB 2602 | Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (87 - 10) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WI | AB 804 | Increases Penalties for Domestic Abuse Victim Intimidation | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | SD | SJR 501 | Amends Constitution by Authorizing Wagering on Sporting Events | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | VA | SB 935 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | CO | HB 20-1048 | Establishes the CROWN Act | Bill Passed - House (42 - 21) |
| 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. 11, 2020 | WV | HB 4069 | Prohibits Religious Discrimination in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | National | HR 1980 | Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act | Bill Passed - House (374 - 37) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WI | AB 734 | Increases Penalties for Mail Theft | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WV | HB 4069 | Prohibits Religious Discrimination in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WI | AB 806 | Amends the Age for Juvenile Incarceration | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WI | AB 809 | Prohibits Early Release for Individuals Convicted of Violent Crimes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 11, 2020 | WV | SB 131 | Establishes the Tim Tebow Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 10, 2020 | KY | HB 44 | Amends Criminal Trespassing Laws Relating to Critical Infrastructure | Bill Passed - House (71 - 7) |
| Feb. 10, 2020 | OK | HB 3195 | Requires County Jails Comply with ICE Detainer Requests | Bill Passed - House (78 - 21) |
| Feb. 10, 2020 | OK | HB 3195 | Requires County Jails Comply with ICE Detainer Requests | Bill Passed - House (78 - 21) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | KY | SB 8 | Requires School Districts Have Armed School Resource Officers | Bill Passed - House (78 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | KS | SCR 1613 | Establishes a State Constitutional Amendment Specifying that Abortion Shall Not Be Constitutionally Protected | Bill Failed - House (80 - 43) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | VA | HB 837 | Establishes the "Dress Code Equity Act" | Bill Passed - House (81 - 17) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | MD | SB 147 | Prohibits the Purchase, Distribution, or Sale of Kratom | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4585 | Establishes Criminal Immunity for "Good Faith" Child Abuse or Neglect Reporting | Bill Passed - House (69 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 262 | Prohibits Law Enforcement Questioning of an Individual's Immigration Status | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | MI | HB 4567 | Amends Fishing Regulations | Bill Passed - House (72 - 32) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 262 | Prohibits Law Enforcement Questioning of an Individual's Immigration Status | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | SB 868 | Amends Anti-Discrimination Law to Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 1663 | Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 35) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 827 | Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Pregnancy | Bill Passed - House (66 - 31) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 108 | Establishes Election Day as a State Holiday | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 1663 | Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 35) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | SB 868 | Amends Anti-Discrimination Law to Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | MD | HB 4 | Requires Background Checks for Private Sales of Long Guns | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | CO | SB 20-83 | Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 1429 | Prohibits Denying or Limiting Coverage based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (54 - 41) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | CO | SB 20-83 | Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | IN | SB 449 | Reduces the Age at Which Juveniles Can be Sent to Jail | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | KY | SB 1 | Prohibits "Sanctuary" Immigration Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | IN | SB 342 | Establishes Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Feb. 3, 2020 | GA | SR 554 | Expresses Support for Iranian People | Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| Feb. 3, 2020 | VA | HB 386 | Prohibits State Funding for Conversion Therapy on Minors | Bill Passed - House (66 - 27) |
| Feb. 3, 2020 | VA | HB 386 | Prohibits State Funding for Conversion Therapy on Minors | Bill Passed - House (66 - 27) |
| Jan. 31, 2020 | WA | SB 5339 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| Jan. 31, 2020 | WA | SB 5339 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| Jan. 31, 2020 | KY | HB 168 | Requires Legislative Ethics Commission to Review Sexual Harassment Complaints | Bill Passed - House (85 - 0) |
| Jan. 31, 2020 | VA | HB 995 | Increases the Threshold Amount of Money Taken for Larceny Crimes | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| Jan. 30, 2020 | AZ | SB 1141 | Expands Arrest Powers of Detention Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2020 | VA | HB 674 | Authorizes Removing Firearms from Persons Posing Substantial Risk | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |