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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 3, 2015 | National | S Amdt 2910 | Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| Dec. 3, 2015 | National | S Amdt 2915 | Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Dec. 3, 2015 | National | HR 8 | North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act | Bill Passed - House (249 - 174) |
| Nov. 19, 2015 | National | HR 4038 | American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act | Bill Passed - House (289 - 137) |
| Nov. 17, 2015 | OH | HB 48 | Amends Provisions Concerning Concealed Carry of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| Oct. 27, 2015 | National | S 754 | Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 21) |
| Oct. 22, 2015 | National | S Amdt 2564 | Prohibits Liability Immunity for Corporations that Break User Agreements | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 65) |
| Oct. 21, 2015 | WI | SB 43 | Amends John Doe Law | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| Oct. 21, 2015 | WI | SB 43 | Amends John Doe Law | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Oct. 20, 2015 | National | S 2146 | Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Oct. 1, 2015 | National | HR 3457 | Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (251 - 173) |
| Sept. 10, 2015 | CA | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| Sept. 9, 2015 | CA | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Sept. 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| July 29, 2015 | NC | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| July 27, 2015 | NC | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| July 16, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| July 16, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| July 13, 2015 | PA | SB 683 | Requires DNA Sample from Individuals Arrested for Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| June 30, 2015 | ME | LD 652 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| June 29, 2015 | CT | HB 7104 | Amends Drug Sentencing Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| June 24, 2015 | NC | HB 640 | Authorizes Hunting on Sundays | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 15) |
| June 18, 2015 | DE | HB 39 | Decriminalizes Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| June 16, 2015 | IL | HB 1336 | Establishes Immunity from Underage Drinking Charges in Certain Circumstances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| June 16, 2015 | National | HR 2596 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 | Bill Passed - House (247 - 178) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2910 | Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2915 | Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 12/03 | HR 8 | North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act | Bill Passed - House (249 - 174) |
| 11/19 | HR 4038 | American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act | Bill Passed - House (289 - 137) |
| 11/17 | HB 48 | Amends Provisions Concerning Concealed Carry of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| 10/27 | S 754 | Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 21) |
| 10/22 | S Amdt 2564 | Prohibits Liability Immunity for Corporations that Break User Agreements | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 65) |
| 10/21 | SB 43 | Amends John Doe Law | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| 10/21 | SB 43 | Amends John Doe Law | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 10/20 | S 2146 | Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 10/01 | HR 3457 | Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (251 - 173) |
| 9/10 | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| 9/09 | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 9/01 | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| 7/29 | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| 7/27 | HB 774 | Authorizes Certain Medical Professionals to Monitor Executions | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 7/16 | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| 7/16 | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| 7/13 | SB 683 | Requires DNA Sample from Individuals Arrested for Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 6/30 | LD 652 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 6/29 | HB 7104 | Amends Drug Sentencing Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 6/24 | HB 640 | Authorizes Hunting on Sundays | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 6/18 | HB 39 | Decriminalizes Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 6/16 | HB 1336 | Establishes Immunity from Underage Drinking Charges in Certain Circumstances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| 6/16 | HR 2596 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 | Bill Passed - House (247 - 178) |