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 | 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. 21, 2015 | WI | SB 43 | Amends John Doe Law | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| 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. 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 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) |
| 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) |
| June 3, 2015 | National | HR 2578 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 | Bill Passed - House (242 - 183) |
| June 2, 2015 | DE | HB 39 | Decriminalizes Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (24 - 14) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | AB 718 | Authorizes Sleeping in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| May 31, 2015 | IL | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 46) |
| May 31, 2015 | IL | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (55 - 54) |
| May 27, 2015 | TX | SB 11 | Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (102 - 44) |
| May 26, 2015 | CA | AB 884 | Requires the Attorney General to Denote Ballot Initiatives That May Be Unconstitutional | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| May 22, 2015 | NV | SB 175 | Amends Justifiable Homicide and Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| May 22, 2015 | NV | SB 175 | Amends Justifiable Homicide and Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| May 18, 2015 | ID | H 1 | Amends Foreign Child Support Order | Bill Passed - House (49 - 21) |
| May 17, 2015 | MN | SF 86 | Amends Procedures for Data Collected by Police Surveillance Equipment | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 43) |
| May 15, 2015 | MO | SB 199 | Amends the Justifications for Use of Deadly Force | Bill Passed - House (111 - 43) |
| May 13, 2015 | WI | AB 191 | Requires Drug Testing for Job Training Programs | Bill Passed - House (62 - 33) |