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 18, 2019 | OR | SB 250 | Prohibits Health Benefit Plans from Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| April 10, 2019 | NY | A 6188 | Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17) |
| April 10, 2019 | NC | SB 250 | Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| April 10, 2019 | IL | SB 2090 | Expands Access to Voting in Jails | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| April 8, 2019 | AR | HJR 1008 | Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| April 3, 2019 | TX | SB 17 | Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| March 29, 2019 | GA | HB 345 | Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1) |
| March 12, 2019 | UT | HB 57 | Requires Search Warrants for Electronic Information | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 0) |
| March 11, 2019 | IA | SF 274 | Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 7, 2019 | SD | SB 189 | Establishes "Riot Boosting" as a Civil Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| March 6, 2019 | MS | HB 761 | Prohibits Contracts with Businesses That Boycott Israel | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| Feb. 26, 2019 | WA | SB 5165 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2019 | NJ | S 758 | Requires Incarcerated Individuals Count in Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Jan. 23, 2019 | DE | HB 2 | Establishes Protections for Federal Workers During a Shutdown | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |
| Jan. 15, 2019 | NY | A 576 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 4) |
| Jan. 15, 2019 | NY | S 1047 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 19) |
| Dec. 6, 2018 | OH | SB 250 | Increases Trespass Penalties and Other Crimes Related to Protesting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| Nov. 28, 2018 | MI | SB 1175 | Amends Laws Regarding State Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Oct. 17, 2018 | PA | SB 554 | Establishes Protections for Juvenile Human Trafficking Victims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
| Sept. 5, 2018 | MI | HB 5377 | Amends Prison Parole Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| Aug. 24, 2018 | CA | SB 820 | Prohibits Non-Disclosure Agreements in Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| Aug. 6, 2018 | CA | AB 282 | Amends the End of Life Option Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| June 29, 2018 | NC | HB 1092 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12) |
| June 27, 2018 | NC | HB 913 | Establishes a Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement | Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| June 25, 2018 | NJ | A 3861 | Amends Unemployment Insurance Law | (23 - 14) |
| May 29, 2018 | MI | SB 872 | Amends Statue of Limitations for Sexual Misconduct Cases Going Back until 1997 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 2) |
| May 29, 2018 | MI | SB 871 | Increases the Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Offenses | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
| May 16, 2018 | National | S J Res 52 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Restoring Internet Freedom" | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| May 2, 2018 | NH | HB 1319 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| May 2, 2018 | IL | SB 3249 | Requires LGBT History in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| May 1, 2018 | HI | HB 1489 | Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 0) |
| April 19, 2018 | AZ | HB 2563 | Establishes Free Speech Policy for College Campuses | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 13) |
| April 19, 2018 | NH | HB 587 | Prohibits Providing Conversion Therapy to Minors | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| April 18, 2018 | VT | H 333 | Requires Gender-Neutral Bathrooms | Bill Passed - Senate |
| April 18, 2018 | ME | LD 912 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy on Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 18, 2018 | National | S J Res 57 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 47) |
| April 12, 2018 | NJ | A 3686 | Increases State Protections for Labor Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| April 12, 2018 | NJ | A 1827 | Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| April 11, 2018 | MO | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | HB 447 | Establishes Pretrial Services Program Grant Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11) |
| March 26, 2018 | NJ | S 1036 | Requires Attorney General to Appoint an Independent Prosecutor | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| March 22, 2018 | MD | HB 532 | Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 21, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| March 8, 2018 | WA | HB 3003 | Amends Various Police 'Use of Force' Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| March 1, 2018 | WA | HB 2578 | Establishes Source-of-Income Housing Non-Discrimination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| Feb. 28, 2018 | WA | HB 1513 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Pre-Registration for 16 and 17 Year Old Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Feb. 27, 2018 | OR | HB 4135 | Authorizes Healthcare Providers to Make Decisions for End of Life Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Feb. 26, 2018 | NJ | S 493 | Authorizes Transgender Death Certificates | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1958 | Immigration Security and Opportunity Act (Schumer Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1948 | Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1955 | Uniting and Securing America Act (Coons-McCain Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1959 | Secure and Succeed Act (Grassley Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (39 - 60) |
| Jan. 19, 2018 | WA | SB 5766 | Requires School Districts to Adopt Transgender Student Policies and Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Jan. 18, 2018 | National | S 139 | FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Jan. 3, 2018 | NH | HB 372 | Amends Definition of Residency for Voting Purposes | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
| Nov. 7, 2017 | WI | AB 165 | Authorizes Role in a Constitutional Convention | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| June 19, 2017 | NJ | S 3067 | Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| May 31, 2017 | IL | HB 1785 | Authorizes Birth Certificate Changes for Transgender People | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| May 30, 2017 | IL | HB 2462 | Prohibits Screening Job Applicants Based on Wage or Salary History | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| May 11, 2017 | AL | SB 200 | Prohibits Criminal History Inquiries by Employers | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| May 9, 2017 | AZ | SB 1384 | Prohibits Censorship of Student Media | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| April 27, 2017 | TX | HB 89 | Prohibits Contracts with Companies Boycotting Israel | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| April 27, 2017 | MI | SB 163 | Authorizes "Choose Life" License Plates | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| April 26, 2017 | LA | SB 16 | Provides Parole Eligibility to Juveniles Sentenced to Life in Prison | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| April 24, 2017 | NE | LB 75 | Restores Voting Rights Upon Completion of a Felony Sentence | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| April 17, 2017 | AZ | SB 1406 | Limits Applicability of Disability Lawsuits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| April 11, 2017 | AL | SB 193 | Authorizes Briarwood Presbyterian Church to Form a Police Force | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| April 7, 2017 | WA | HB 1595 | Establishes Fees for Printed and Digital Copies of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 4) |
| April 4, 2017 | TX | SB 576 | Establishes Reporting Standards for Sexual Assault on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 1) |
| April 3, 2017 | NE | LB 46 | Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to Create a "Choose Life" Specialty License Plate | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5) |
| March 30, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 7) |
| March 28, 2017 | ND | HB 1310 | Amends Concealed Carry Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 27) |
| March 23, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 23, 2017 | VT | S 96 | Establishes Protections For Journalists | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| March 23, 2017 | FL | SB 436 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |