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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 11, 2016 | MN | HF 1089 | Authorizes Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (73 - 56) |
| April 8, 2016 | MD | SB 1112 | Establishes Tax Credit for Certain Aerospace Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| April 7, 2016 | National | S Amdt 3483 | Establishes Standards for Passenger Space on Airplanes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 54) |
| April 5, 2016 | MD | HB 580 | Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (84 - 54) |
| March 31, 2016 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 31, 2016 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| March 30, 2016 | AK | SB 1 | Prohibits Smoking in Public | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| March 28, 2016 | TN | SB 2094 | Limits Liquor Retailers to 2 Stores | Bill Passed - House (72 - 16) |
| March 23, 2016 | AK | SB 125 | Amends Alaska Gasline Development Corporation Board of Directors | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| March 21, 2016 | AZ | SB 1316 | Establishes Flexible Credit Loans | Bill Passed - House (31 - 26) |
| March 15, 2016 | ID | H 372 | Prohibits Local Limitation on Use of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 15, 2016 | WI | SB 239 | Amends Regulations for High Capacity Wells | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| March 14, 2016 | KY | SB 205 | Establishes Regulations for Nursing Home Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| March 10, 2016 | IN | HB 1127 | Establishes Regulations on Lawsuit Funding Practices | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 32) |
| March 10, 2016 | IN | HB 1127 | Establishes Regulations on Lawsuit Funding Practices | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 10) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| March 10, 2016 | AZ | HB 2131 | Prohibits Local Governments from Taxing Disposable Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| March 10, 2016 | UT | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| March 10, 2016 | KS | HB 2369 | Prohibits Minors From Using Tanning Devices | Bill Passed - House (77 - 44) |
| March 9, 2016 | MA | H 4049 | Establishes Regulations for Ride-Sharing Companies | Bill Passed - House (139 - 16) |
| March 8, 2016 | SD | SB 159 | Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies | Bill Passed - House (45 - 23) |
| March 8, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - House (44 - 7) |
| March 7, 2016 | UT | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 3, 2016 | CA | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/11 | HF 1089 | Authorizes Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (73 - 56) |
| 4/08 | SB 1112 | Establishes Tax Credit for Certain Aerospace Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 4/07 | S Amdt 3483 | Establishes Standards for Passenger Space on Airplanes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 54) |
| 4/05 | HB 580 | Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (84 - 54) |
| 3/31 | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/31 | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| 3/30 | SB 1 | Prohibits Smoking in Public | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 3/28 | SB 2094 | Limits Liquor Retailers to 2 Stores | Bill Passed - House (72 - 16) |
| 3/23 | SB 125 | Amends Alaska Gasline Development Corporation Board of Directors | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| 3/21 | SB 1316 | Establishes Flexible Credit Loans | Bill Passed - House (31 - 26) |
| 3/15 | H 372 | Prohibits Local Limitation on Use of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 3/15 | SB 239 | Amends Regulations for High Capacity Wells | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| 3/14 | SB 205 | Establishes Regulations for Nursing Home Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 3/10 | HB 1127 | Establishes Regulations on Lawsuit Funding Practices | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 32) |
| 3/10 | HB 1127 | Establishes Regulations on Lawsuit Funding Practices | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 10) |
| 3/10 | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 3/10 | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 3/10 | HB 2131 | Prohibits Local Governments from Taxing Disposable Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 3/10 | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| 3/10 | HB 2369 | Prohibits Minors From Using Tanning Devices | Bill Passed - House (77 - 44) |
| 3/09 | H 4049 | Establishes Regulations for Ride-Sharing Companies | Bill Passed - House (139 - 16) |
| 3/08 | SB 159 | Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies | Bill Passed - House (45 - 23) |
| 3/08 | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - House (44 - 7) |
| 3/07 | SB 246 | Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/03 | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |