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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2018 | MA | H 4479 | Increases Minimum Purchase Age for Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (147 - 4) |
| May 2, 2018 | RI | S 2350 | Prohibits Advertising Unhealthy Food in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| May 1, 2018 | KS | HB 2470 | Amends Alcoholic Beverage Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (94 - 28) |
| April 19, 2018 | MO | HB 2155 | Authorizes State to Regulate Powdered Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (117 - 30) |
| Feb. 28, 2018 | MS | SB 2588 | Authorizes Localities to Designate Open Container Districts | Bill Passed - House (88 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2018 | National | HR 772 | Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (266 - 157) |
| Feb. 5, 2018 | MS | SB 2588 | Authorizes Localities to Designate Open Container Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| Jan. 31, 2018 | MS | HB 415 | Amends Alcoholic Beverage Regulations | (86 - 26) |
| Oct. 12, 2017 | MI | HB 4999 | Prohibits Localities from Taxing Foods and Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Sept. 5, 2017 | CA | AB 841 | Restricts Marketing of Unhealthy Foods in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| April 26, 2017 | FL | SB 106 | Revises Provisions on the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| April 11, 2017 | WA | HB 1493 | Regulates Commercial Use of Biometric Data | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| March 8, 2017 | UT | HB 442 | Amends Certain Restrictions Regarding the Sale of Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 17) |
| March 2, 2017 | WA | HB 1493 | Regulates Commercial Use of Biometric Data | Bill Passed - House (81 - 17) |
| Feb. 27, 2017 | MT | HB 541 | Authorizes Small Breweries to Sell 60,000 Barrels of Beer per Year | Bill Passed - House (94 - 6) |
| Aug. 30, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 25, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| July 7, 2016 | National | S 764 | Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30) |
| May 31, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 26, 2016 | NJ | S 359 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 26, 2016 | LA | HB 67 | Prohibits Minors from Possessing Alcohol on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (48 - 37) |
| May 18, 2016 | IL | SB 3011 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| April 28, 2016 | MA | S 2269 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| April 18, 2016 | LA | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 31, 2016 | MO | HB 1786 | Prohibits Powdered Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (95 - 56) |