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 2, 2016 | OR | HB 4143 | Prohibits Rent Increase in First Year of Tenancy | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 9) |
| March 1, 2016 | IA | SF 2188 | Authorizes Certain Psychologists to Prescribe Medication | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25) |
| March 1, 2016 | RI | S 2103 | Requires Property Owners to Maintain Trees and Shrubs | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| March 1, 2016 | KY | SB 89 | Authorizes Construction of Nuclear Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | VA | HB 587 | Prohibits Removal of War Monuments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | IA | SF 2222 | Authorizes Pharmacists to Dispense Over-the-Counter Birth Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | GA | SB 6 | Establishes Driving Safety Cards for Certain Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | KY | SB 200 | Reduces Number of Horse Park Commission Members | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Feb. 25, 2016 | IA | SF 2289 | Expands Criminal Offenses for Animal Mistreatment | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 17, 2016 | TN | SB 1556 | Authorizes Therapists to Decline to Provide Services | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | VA | SB 416 | Authorizes Individuals to Rent Out Rooms through Online Platform | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| Feb. 15, 2016 | AZ | SB 1241 | Prohibits Photo Enforcement System | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| Feb. 11, 2016 | RI | H 7409 | Establishes Highway Truck Tolls | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Feb. 11, 2016 | NJ | S 988 | Authorizes Qualified Wind Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 8, 2016 | VA | SB 646 | Establishes Regulations for Fantasy Sports | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Feb. 5, 2016 | NE | LB 176 | Authorizes Meatpackers to Own Swine | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 4, 2016 | National | S 2012 | Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (43 - 54) |
| Feb. 3, 2016 | IN | SB 339 | Establishes Regulations for Fantasy Sports Games | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| Feb. 3, 2016 | IN | SB 80 | Authorizes Pharmacists to Decline to Sell Certain Cold Medicines | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Feb. 2, 2016 | VA | SB 117 | Prohibits Opening Car Door in Traffic Lane | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 2, 2016 | IN | SB 313 | Prohibits Abortion Based on Gender, Race, or Disability of Fetus | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| Jan. 29, 2016 | VA | SB 67 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation in Housing Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Jan. 27, 2016 | OH | HB 294 | Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Certain Abortion Services | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| Jan. 20, 2016 | NE | LB 18 | Requires a Meningitis Immunization Before Entering Seventh Grade | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (29 - 14) |
| Jan. 20, 2016 | MI | SB 207 | Authorizes Peace Officers to Conduct Roadside Saliva Drug Test | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Jan. 12, 2016 | National | S 2232 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| Dec. 3, 2015 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Nov. 5, 2015 | National | HR 2685 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
| Oct. 27, 2015 | National | S 754 | Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 21) |
| Oct. 21, 2015 | OH | SB 214 | Amends Healthcare Funds Distribution | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Oct. 7, 2015 | National | HR 1735 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 27) |
| Sept. 24, 2015 | National | S Amdt 2669 | Rescinds Funds from Planned Parenthood | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 17, 2015 | MA | S 1981 | Requires Foreclosure Title Clearing | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Sept. 11, 2015 | CA | SB 350 | Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Sept. 11, 2015 | CA | AB 15 | Authorizes A Physician to Prescribe Aid-in-Dying Drugs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| July 30, 2015 | National | HR 22 | Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| July 15, 2015 | WI | SB 209 | Appropriates Funds for New Sports and Entertainment Arena | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| June 30, 2015 | OR | SB 895 | Requires Schools to Report Immunization Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| June 29, 2015 | CA | SB 277 | Amends School Immunization Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 23, 2015 | NC | HB 148 | Requires Auto Insurance for Moped Operators | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8) |
| June 23, 2015 | NC | HB 148 | Requires Auto Insurance for Moped Operators | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8) |
| June 23, 2015 | RI | S 997 | Establishes a Toll for Large Commercial Trucks | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| June 12, 2015 | MN | SF 5 | 2015-2017 Biennium Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 29) |
| June 4, 2015 | CA | SB 128 | Authorizes Prescription of "Aid-in-Dying Drugs" | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 350 | Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 185 | Requires Public Retirement Systems to Divest from Coal Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 32 | Establishes Certain Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| June 2, 2015 | CT | HB 6949 | Expands Requirements for Vaccine Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |