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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2015 | CO | HB 1175 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy on Minors | Bill Passed - House (35 - 29) |
| March 6, 2015 | UT | SB 296 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| March 5, 2015 | GA | SB 129 | Prohibits Government Interference with Religious Practice | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Feb. 27, 2015 | KY | SB 76 | Prohibits Students from Using Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Sex | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2015 | NC | SB 2 | Authorizes Officials to Not Perform Certain Marriage Duties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | ND | SB 2279 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| Feb. 10, 2015 | SD | HB 1195 | Requires a Student's Gender Identity to be Determined by a Birth Certificate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2015 | WY | SF 115 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Idenity | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| Feb. 3, 2015 | VA | SB 785 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| June 16, 2014 | NY | A 6983B | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy on Minors | Bill Passed - House (105 - 28) |
| April 7, 2014 | NE | LB 485 | Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (26 - 22) |
| March 27, 2014 | MD | SB 212 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (82 - 57) |
| March 4, 2014 | MD | SB 212 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| Feb. 17, 2014 | IN | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Feb. 12, 2014 | KS | HB 2453 | Authorizes an Individual to Refuse Services Based on Religious Beliefs | Bill Passed - House (72 - 49) |
| Jan. 28, 2014 | IN | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| Nov. 12, 2013 | HI | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| Nov. 8, 2013 | HI | SB 1 - HD 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (30 - 19) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 5, 2013 | IL | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| Nov. 5, 2013 | IL | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| July 3, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| June 27, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| June 24, 2013 | NJ | A 3371 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - House (56 - 14) |
| June 19, 2013 | DE | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| June 18, 2013 | DE | SB 97 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 323 | Prohibits Tax-Exempt Status for Organizations that Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| May 23, 2013 | NV | SJR 13 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - House (27 - 14) |
| May 14, 2013 | NV | SB 139 | Classifies Crimes Based on Gender Identity or Expression as Felonies | Bill Passed - House (30 - 11) |
| May 13, 2013 | MN | HF 1054 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 30) |
| May 9, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - House (46 - 25) |
| May 9, 2013 | MN | HF 1054 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 59) |
| May 7, 2013 | DE | HB 75 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| May 2, 2013 | RI | H 5015 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| April 24, 2013 | RI | H 5015 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| April 23, 2013 | DE | HB 75 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (23 - 18) |
| April 22, 2013 | NV | SJR 13 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| April 10, 2013 | MT | SB 107 | Amends Sexual Conduct Laws | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| March 18, 2013 | CO | HB 1081 | Expands Sexual Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 12, 2013 | CO | SB 11 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | National | S 47 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 138) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | CO | HB 1081 | Expands Sexual Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | MT | SB 107 | Amends Sexual Conduct Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | ND | SB 2252 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 26) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2013 | National | S 47 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
| Feb. 11, 2013 | CO | SB 11 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | WY | SF 131 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |