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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 20, 2016 | NJ | S 51 | Authorizes Restrictions on Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 656 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Veto Override Passed - House (112 - 41) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 656 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| Aug. 26, 2016 | CA | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Aug. 19, 2016 | AL | SB 3 | Establishes State Lottery | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 18, 2016 | CA | SB 1322 | Exempts Minors from Prostitution Charges | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| Aug. 16, 2016 | CA | AB 2466 | Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 15, 2016 | CA | AB 1687 | Requires Entertainment Database Websites to Remove Actor's Age Upon Request | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 4, 2016 | CA | SB 759 | Authorizes Early Release for Certain Prisoners in Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - House (41 - 31) |
| July 6, 2016 | National | S 2193 | Stop Illegal Reentry Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42) |
| July 6, 2016 | National | S 2193 | Stop Illegal Reentry Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1135 | Prohibits Firearms with Bullet Button | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | SB 1235 | Requires Background Checks to Buy Ammunition | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1674 | Limits the Purchase of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 34) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1674 | Limits the Purchase of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | SB 1235 | Requires Background Checks to Buy Ammunition | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | SB 1446 | Prohibits the Possession of High-Capacity Gun Magazines | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| June 30, 2016 | CA | AB 2607 | Authorizes Certain Individuals to Request a Gun Violence Restraining Order | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 28, 2016 | NC | HB 100 | Rescinds Certain Funds from Sanctuary Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| June 27, 2016 | NJ | A 3689 | Requires Justifiable Need for Firearm Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| June 27, 2016 | NJ | S 51 | Authorizes Restrictions on Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/20 | S 51 | Authorizes Restrictions on Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| 9/14 | SB 656 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Veto Override Passed - House (112 - 41) |
| 9/14 | SB 656 | Authorizes Concealed Carry Without a Permit | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 8/26 | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 8/19 | SB 3 | Establishes State Lottery | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 8/18 | SB 1322 | Exempts Minors from Prostitution Charges | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| 8/16 | AB 2466 | Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 8/15 | AB 1687 | Requires Entertainment Database Websites to Remove Actor's Age Upon Request | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 8/04 | SB 759 | Authorizes Early Release for Certain Prisoners in Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - House (41 - 31) |
| 7/06 | S 2193 | Stop Illegal Reentry Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42) |
| 7/06 | S 2193 | Stop Illegal Reentry Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42) |
| 6/30 | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| 6/30 | AB 1135 | Prohibits Firearms with Bullet Button | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 6/30 | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| 6/30 | SB 1235 | Requires Background Checks to Buy Ammunition | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 6/30 | AB 1674 | Limits the Purchase of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 34) |
| 6/30 | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 6/30 | AB 1674 | Limits the Purchase of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 6/30 | SB 1235 | Requires Background Checks to Buy Ammunition | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 6/30 | AB 1695 | Prohibits Falsely Reporting the Loss or Theft of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 6/30 | SB 1446 | Prohibits the Possession of High-Capacity Gun Magazines | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| 6/30 | AB 2607 | Authorizes Certain Individuals to Request a Gun Violence Restraining Order | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 6/28 | HB 100 | Rescinds Certain Funds from Sanctuary Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 6/27 | A 3689 | Requires Justifiable Need for Firearm Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 6/27 | S 51 | Authorizes Restrictions on Solitary Confinement | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |