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 20, 2016 | VA | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| April 7, 2016 | AL | SB 237 | Establishes Innocence Inquiry Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| March 25, 2016 | MS | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 11, 2016 | VA | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 32) |
| March 2, 2016 | UT | SB 189 | Repeals Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 12) |
| March 1, 2016 | MS | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 10, 2016 | VA | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Bill Passed - House (62 - 33) |
| Jan. 28, 2016 | DE | SB 40 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Failed - House (16 - 23) |
| July 29, 2015 | NC | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| July 27, 2015 | NC | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| May 27, 2015 | NE | LB 268 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| April 29, 2015 | NC | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - House (84 - 33) |
| April 2, 2015 | DE | SB 40 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| March 11, 2015 | AL | HB 18 | Authorizes Execution by Electrocution | Bill Passed - House (76 - 26) |
| March 10, 2015 | UT | HB 11 | Authorizes Execution by Firing Squad | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| Feb. 13, 2015 | UT | HB 11 | Authorizes Execution by Firing Squad | Bill Passed - House (39 - 34) |
| Feb. 12, 2015 | WY | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 12) |
| Feb. 12, 2015 | WY | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Bill Passed - House (32 - 28) |
| Feb. 10, 2015 | VA | SB 1393 | Authorizes Changes to Lethal Injection Drug Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Jan. 16, 2015 | WY | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Dec. 17, 2014 | OH | HB 663 | Requires Confidentiality of Death Penalty Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 23) |
| Dec. 11, 2014 | OH | HB 663 | Requires Confidentiality of Death Penalty Information | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| April 17, 2014 | TN | SB 2580 | Authorizes the Use of Certain Execution Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| April 17, 2014 | NH | HB 1170 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/20 | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| 4/07 | SB 237 | Establishes Innocence Inquiry Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| 3/25 | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| 3/11 | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/11 | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (65 - 32) |
| 3/02 | SB 189 | Repeals Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 12) |
| 3/01 | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/10 | HB 815 | Amends Death Penalty Procedures | Bill Passed - House (62 - 33) |
| 1/28 | SB 40 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Failed - House (16 - 23) |
| 7/29 | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| 7/27 | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 5/27 | LB 268 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 4/29 | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - House (84 - 33) |
| 4/02 | SB 40 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| 3/11 | HB 18 | Authorizes Execution by Electrocution | Bill Passed - House (76 - 26) |
| 3/10 | HB 11 | Authorizes Execution by Firing Squad | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 2/13 | HB 11 | Authorizes Execution by Firing Squad | Bill Passed - House (39 - 34) |
| 2/12 | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 12) |
| 2/12 | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Bill Passed - House (32 - 28) |
| 2/10 | SB 1393 | Authorizes Changes to Lethal Injection Drug Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 1/16 | SF 13 | Authorizes Firing Squads as an Alternative Method of Execution | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 12/17 | HB 663 | Requires Confidentiality of Death Penalty Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 23) |
| 12/11 | HB 663 | Requires Confidentiality of Death Penalty Information | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 4/17 | SB 2580 | Authorizes the Use of Certain Execution Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| 4/17 | HB 1170 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |