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. 6, 2024 | NM | SB 37 | Requires All Meat Plants to be Inspected by State Before Federal Approval to Open | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
| Feb. 5, 2024 | IN | HB 1019 | Prohibits the Sale of Beverages on Private Property | Bill Passed - House (98 - 0) |
| Nov. 20, 2023 | CO | SB 23B-002 | Requires the State Join the Federal Food Assistance Program | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
| Sept. 28, 2023 | National | HR 4368 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 | Bill Failed - House (191 - 237) |
| Sept. 12, 2023 | CA | AB 418 | Prohibits Certain Chemicals Found in Candies such as Skittles and Hot Tamales | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 6) |
| Sept. 11, 2023 | CA | AB 418 | Prohibits Certain Chemicals Found in Candies such as Skittles and Hot Tamales | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| May 31, 2023 | OR | SB 643 | Authorizes the Individual Sale of Home Baked Goods | Bill Passed - House (43 - 11) |
| May 24, 2023 | CA | SB 245 | Amends the California Food Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| May 18, 2023 | IL | SB 850 | Authorizes the State Government to Declare Food Deserts | Bill Passed - House (96 - 17) |
| May 4, 2023 | CO | HB 23-1158 | Establishes the Colorado Commidity Supplemental Food Grant Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 6) |
| April 20, 2023 | ND | HB 1515 | Authorizes Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Raw Milk | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
| April 19, 2023 | ND | HB 1515 | Authorizes Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Raw Milk | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 10) |
| April 18, 2023 | WA | HB 1238 | Expands Washington's Free School Lunch Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 4) |
| April 13, 2023 | AZ | HB 2509 | Authorizes the Individual Sale of "Cottage Foods" or Home Baked Goods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 11) |
| April 11, 2023 | WA | HB 1238 | Expands Washington's Free School Lunch Program | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| April 5, 2023 | AZ | HB 2509 | Authorizes the Individual Sale of "Cottage Foods" or Home Baked Goods | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| March 6, 2023 | SD | HB 1094 | Reduces Tax Rates on Food and Repeals Conditional Reduction of Certain Gross Receipts Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Jan. 11, 2023 | MT | HB 71 | Amends State Alcohol Laws | Bill Passed - House (95 - 3) |
| Aug. 24, 2022 | CA | AB 1341 | Prohibits the Sale of Weight Loss and Over-the-Counter Dietary Pills to Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 11) |
| Aug. 23, 2022 | CA | AB 1341 | Prohibits the Sale of Weight Loss and Over-the-Counter Dietary Pills to Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| May 23, 2022 | IA | SF 2374 | Establishes Regulations for Retail Alcohol Licenses, Food Delivery Services | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 1) |
| May 20, 2022 | OK | SB 169 | Authorizes To-Go Cocktails | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| May 5, 2022 | HI | SB 2218 | Establishes a 5-Year Food Hub Pilot Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 0) |
| April 27, 2022 | OK | SB 169 | Authorizes To-Go Cocktails | Bill Passed - House (62 - 27) |
| April 20, 2022 | OK | SB 1708 | Authorizes 16 and 17 Year Old Employees to Sell Mixed Beverages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 33) |
| March 14, 2022 | OK | SB 1708 | Authorizes 16 and 17 Year Old Employees to Sell Mixed Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 8, 2022 | SD | SB 117 | Repeals Sales Tax on Food | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| March 7, 2022 | SD | SB 117 | Repeals Sales Tax on Food | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| Feb. 15, 2022 | VA | HB 90 | Establishes a Tax Exemption for Food and Personal Hygiene Products | Bill Passed - House (88 - 1) |
| Feb. 14, 2022 | National | PN 1593 | Nomination of Robert Califf as Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services | Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 45) |
| Sept. 9, 2021 | CA | SB 343 | Establishes Additional Labeling Requirements for Recyclable Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| Sept. 1, 2021 | CA | AB 1444 | Prohibits Delivery Platforms from Charging Restaurants for Forwarded Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| June 16, 2021 | PA | HB 1154 | Authorizes Certain Stores to Sell Mixed Alcoholic Beverages To-Go | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| June 1, 2021 | CA | SB 464 | Authorizes Food Assistance Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| May 20, 2021 | CA | AB 652 | Prohibits the Use of Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging | Bill Passed - House (54 - 0) |
| May 19, 2021 | NE | LB 324 | Amends Nebraska Meat and Poultry Inspection Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| May 13, 2021 | AZ | HB 2773 | Authorizes Restaurants to Sell To-Go Cocktails | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| May 6, 2021 | NH | HB 183 | Prohibits Municipalities from Requiring a License for a Soft Drink Stand | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 10) |
| May 5, 2021 | MI | SB 354 | Extends Waivers for Licensing Fees for Certain Food Establishments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| April 28, 2021 | PA | SB 434 | Authorizes Milk Processors More Leniency With Milk Date Coding | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 0) |
| April 22, 2021 | CA | AB 1200 | Prohibits the Use of PFAS Chemicals in Food Packaging | Bill Passed - House (48 - 14) |
| April 15, 2021 | AR | SB 248 | Exempts Certain Producers of Homemade Food or Drink Products from Inspection | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 4) |
| April 12, 2021 | AR | HB 1712 | Authorizes the State HVACR Licensing Board to Establish Annual Continuing Education Requirement | Bill Passed - House (52 - 37) |
| April 9, 2021 | NH | HB 183 | Prohibits Municipalities from Requiring a License for a Soft Drink Stand | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 163) |
| April 8, 2021 | AR | SB 339 | Authorizes To-Go Alcohol Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| March 25, 2021 | MI | SB 250 | Establishes Opening Rules for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 11, 2021 | SC | H 3575 | Authorizes Restaurants to Include Alcohol in Curb-Side Pickup Meals | Bill Passed - House (99 - 14) |
| March 11, 2021 | SC | H 3772 | Auuthorizes Home Delivery for Beer and Wine | Bill Passed - House (84 - 27) |
| March 3, 2021 | AZ | HB 2773 | Authorizes Restaurants to Sell To-Go Cocktails | Bill Passed - House (34 - 26) |
| Feb. 11, 2021 | AL | SB 126 | Authorizes Alcohol Home Delivery | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |