Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Sept. 10, 2025 CA AB 1064 Prohibits Individuals or Businesses from Providing "Companion Chatbots" Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
Sept. 9, 2025 CA AB 752 Requires Daycare Centers to be Considered a Residential Use of Property When Colocated with Multifamily Housing Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
Aug. 12, 2025 TX SB 8 (Special Session) Repeals the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Assessment Program Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
July 17, 2025 MA S 2550 Amends Various Laws Relating to Child Custody in Massachusetts Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
July 14, 2025 CA AB 379 Increases Penalties for Prostitution Violations Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
June 27, 2025 CA SB 120 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education and Childcare Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
June 27, 2025 OR SB 690 Authorizes Delays in Civil Nonpayment Actions Against Parents Who Meet Certain Criteria of Social Need Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 0)
June 26, 2025 NH HB 377 Prohibits Puberty Blockers for Transgender Youth Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
June 26, 2025 NH HB 712 Limits Breast Surgeries for Minors to Procedures Needed to Treat Malignancy, Injury, Infection, or Malformation and Those Needed to Reconstruct the Breasts After Such Procedures Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
June 26, 2025 NC SB 429 Amends Domestic Violence, Drug Trafficking and Exposing Children to Controlled Substances Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 7)
June 25, 2025 OR SB 875 Expands Protections for Oregon's Foster Youth Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 6)
June 23, 2025 NC SB 442 Amends Child Abuse and Neglect Statutes to Exempt Conduct Described as Raising a Child "Consistent with the Juvenile's Biological Sex" and Prohibits Adoptive Parents from Being Screened Based on Whether They Would Deny Their Child Gender-Affirming Care Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 19)
June 18, 2025 WI SB 111 Requires Counties That Approve Emergency Detention for a Minor to Transport the Minor to the Detention Facility Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
June 18, 2025 WI SB 108 Requires the Department of Health Services to Develop a Portal to Facilitate Sharing of Safety Plans for a Minor in Crisis Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
June 18, 2025 WI SB 232 Requires the Department of Justice to Provide Grants for Responding to Suspected Child Maltreatment Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 0)
June 18, 2025 WI SB 106 Authorizes the Establishment of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRFTs) for Individuals Under Age 21 Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
June 17, 2025 NC HB 612 Requires Counties and Cities to have Criminal History Record Checks for Applicants Offered a Position that Requires the Applicant to Work with Children in Any Capacity Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)
June 12, 2025 NY S 4544 Prohibits Harassment, Bullying, and Cyberbullying of Students on School Property Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 3)
June 12, 2025 NY S 4505 Requires Social Media Companies to Add a Label that Warns Users of Negative Mental Health Effects When Those Apps are Used Excessively Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 0)
June 6, 2025 NY A 744 Requires Additional Reporting for Alternative Living Arrangements for Children Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 0)
June 6, 2025 NY S 5242 Requires Collection of Certain Data Regarding Children in Alternative Living Arrangements Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 0)
June 2, 2025 NJ A 4544 Expands Eligibility Requirements of State's Child Care Assistance Program to Include Full-Time Graduate and Post-Graduate Students Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
May 31, 2025 TX SB 13 Establishes Sanctions Within All Public Schools to Regulate the Books Available to Students and Ban Books that are Deemed Inappropriate Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 8)
May 31, 2025 TX SB 12 Authorizes Parents the Right to Prohibit Topics Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Being Taught to Their Children Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
May 30, 2025 NE LB 298 Increases Legislative Supervision Over Divisions Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 2)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/10 AB 1064 Prohibits Individuals or Businesses from Providing "Companion Chatbots" Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
9/09 AB 752 Requires Daycare Centers to be Considered a Residential Use of Property When Colocated with Multifamily Housing Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
8/12 SB 8 (Special Session) Repeals the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Assessment Program Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
7/17 S 2550 Amends Various Laws Relating to Child Custody in Massachusetts Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
7/14 AB 379 Increases Penalties for Prostitution Violations Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
6/27 SB 120 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education and Childcare Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
6/27 SB 690 Authorizes Delays in Civil Nonpayment Actions Against Parents Who Meet Certain Criteria of Social Need Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 0)
6/26 HB 377 Prohibits Puberty Blockers for Transgender Youth Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
6/26 HB 712 Limits Breast Surgeries for Minors to Procedures Needed to Treat Malignancy, Injury, Infection, or Malformation and Those Needed to Reconstruct the Breasts After Such Procedures Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
6/26 SB 429 Amends Domestic Violence, Drug Trafficking and Exposing Children to Controlled Substances Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 7)
6/25 SB 875 Expands Protections for Oregon's Foster Youth Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 6)
6/23 SB 442 Amends Child Abuse and Neglect Statutes to Exempt Conduct Described as Raising a Child "Consistent with the Juvenile's Biological Sex" and Prohibits Adoptive Parents from Being Screened Based on Whether They Would Deny Their Child Gender-Affirming Care Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 19)
6/18 SB 111 Requires Counties That Approve Emergency Detention for a Minor to Transport the Minor to the Detention Facility Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
6/18 SB 108 Requires the Department of Health Services to Develop a Portal to Facilitate Sharing of Safety Plans for a Minor in Crisis Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
6/18 SB 232 Requires the Department of Justice to Provide Grants for Responding to Suspected Child Maltreatment Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 0)
6/18 SB 106 Authorizes the Establishment of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRFTs) for Individuals Under Age 21 Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
6/17 HB 612 Requires Counties and Cities to have Criminal History Record Checks for Applicants Offered a Position that Requires the Applicant to Work with Children in Any Capacity Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)
6/12 S 4544 Prohibits Harassment, Bullying, and Cyberbullying of Students on School Property Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 3)
6/12 S 4505 Requires Social Media Companies to Add a Label that Warns Users of Negative Mental Health Effects When Those Apps are Used Excessively Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 0)
6/06 A 744 Requires Additional Reporting for Alternative Living Arrangements for Children Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 0)
6/06 S 5242 Requires Collection of Certain Data Regarding Children in Alternative Living Arrangements Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 0)
6/02 A 4544 Expands Eligibility Requirements of State's Child Care Assistance Program to Include Full-Time Graduate and Post-Graduate Students Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
5/31 SB 13 Establishes Sanctions Within All Public Schools to Regulate the Books Available to Students and Ban Books that are Deemed Inappropriate Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 8)
5/31 SB 12 Authorizes Parents the Right to Prohibit Topics Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Being Taught to Their Children Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
5/30 LB 298 Increases Legislative Supervision Over Divisions Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 2)

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