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 31, 2015 | AL | HB 85 | Requires Animal Shelters to Compile Monthly Reports | Bill Failed - House (28 - 67) |
| March 26, 2015 | NJ | S 2791 | Environmental Protection Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| March 25, 2015 | MT | HB 245 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 458 | Increases Liabilities for Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 23, 2015 | AZ | HB 2150 | Amends Animal Cruelty Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| March 23, 2015 | AZ | HB 2150 | Amends Animal Cruelty Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| March 23, 2015 | CO | HB 1259 | Authorizes Collection of Rooftop Precipitation | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| March 20, 2015 | NM | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - House (54 - 12) |
| March 19, 2015 | ND | SB 2351 | Authorizes Corporate Dairy and Swine Farms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 16) |
| March 16, 2015 | NJ | S 2791 | Environmental Protection Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| March 11, 2015 | NC | HB 157 | Authorizes the Environmental Management Commission to Use Existing State and Federal Hydraulic Fracturing Air Emission Regulations | Bill Passed - House (76 - 40) |
| March 9, 2015 | MT | HB 212 | Amends Definitions of Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| March 9, 2015 | UT | HB 396 | Prohibits a Seasonal Prohibition on Wood-Burning Stoves | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| March 9, 2015 | UT | HB 396 | Prohibits a Seasonal Prohibition on Wood-Burning Stoves | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| March 9, 2015 | WA | SB 5735 | Establishes Carbon Reduction Investment as Alternative to Meeting Renewable Energy Targets | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| March 9, 2015 | WA | SB 5735 | Establishes Carbon Reduction Investment as Alternative to Meeting Renewable Energy Targets | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| March 7, 2015 | NM | HB 235 | Requires Consent to Use Waterways that Flow Through Private Property | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
| March 5, 2015 | UT | HB 104 | Authorizes Cow-Share Programs | Bill Passed - House (61 - 11) |
| March 4, 2015 | OR | SB 324 | Extends Low Carbon Fuel Standards Target Date | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| March 4, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| March 2, 2015 | NM | SB 94 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Research | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| March 2, 2015 | WA | SB 5987 | Increases Gas Tax and Amends Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Feb. 27, 2015 | WV | SB 357 | Establishes New Coal Mining Safety Guidelines. | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| Feb. 26, 2015 | MT | SB 262 | Establishes Water Rights Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | CO | SB 93 | Requires Compensation for Mineral Rights Owners | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IN | SJR 12 | Authorizes the Use of Diverse Farming and Ranching Practices | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 28) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IN | SJR 12 | Authorizes the Use of Diverse Farming and Ranching Practices | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 28) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | CO | HB 1144 | Prohibits Production and Sale of Products Containing Microbeads | Bill Passed - House (47 - 18) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | OR | SB 324 | Extends Low Carbon Fuel Standards Target Date | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | ND | HB 1238 | Increases Fee on Cattle Sales | Bill Passed - House (69 - 22) |
| Feb. 13, 2015 | NM | SB 253 | Prohibits Coyote Hunting Contests | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | MT | HB 250 | Authorizes Noise Suppressors on Firearms to Hunt Non-Protected Animals | Bill Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| Feb. 4, 2015 | MO | HB 259 | Amends Dairy Industry Laws | Bill Passed - House (110 - 49) |
| Feb. 3, 2015 | MT | HB 212 | Amends Definitions of Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |