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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2017 | MA | H 3034 | Limits the Use of Prison Labor | Bill Passed - House (120 - 35) |
| May 18, 2017 | NV | SB 176 | Requires Police Officers to Wear Body Cameras | Bill Passed - House (33 - 9) |
| May 16, 2017 | NE | LB 289 | Authorizes Life Prison Terms for Sex Traffickers and Solicitors | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| May 15, 2017 | AK | HB 74 | Authorizes REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - House (27 - 13) |
| May 12, 2017 | NC | S 257 | Establishes State Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| May 11, 2017 | National | PN 42 | Nomination of Robert Lighthizer to be a United States Trade Representative | (82 - 14) |
| May 11, 2017 | National | PN 42 | Nomination of Robert Lighthizer to be a United States Trade Representative | Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 15) |
| May 10, 2017 | PA | SB 560 | Establishes Provisions for Police Use of Body Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| May 9, 2017 | CO | SB 301 | Amends Funds and Regulations for Renewable Energy Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 9, 2017 | CO | HB 1375 | Requires School Districts to Develop a Plan to Equitably Distribute Funds | Bill Passed - House (65 - 0) |
| May 8, 2017 | NE | LB 259 | Authorizes Release Options for Inmates Unable to Pay for Bail | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 3) |
| May 6, 2017 | TX | HB 25 | Prohibits One-Punch Straight Ticket Voting | Bill Passed - House (88 - 57) |
| May 5, 2017 | IL | SB 1933 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| May 4, 2017 | AL | HB 155 | Establishes Budget for 2017-2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| May 4, 2017 | CA | AB 84 | Authorizes Earlier Presidential Primary | Bill Passed - House (52 - 20) |
| May 4, 2017 | IL | SB 31 | Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21) |
| May 2, 2017 | National | PN 47 | Nomination of Jay Clayton to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| May 2, 2017 | OH | HB 49 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - House (58 - 37) |
| May 2, 2017 | WI | SB 15 | Expands Legislature's Regulatory Review Powers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| May 2, 2017 | WI | SB 15 | Expands Legislature's Regulatory Review Powers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| May 2, 2017 | WI | SB 15 | Expands Legislature's Regulatory Review Powers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| May 1, 2017 | National | PN 47 | Nomination of Jay Clayton to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 36) |
| April 27, 2017 | National | PN 88 | Nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 38) |
| April 27, 2017 | MI | HB 4177 | Amends Guidelines for Party Labels on Ballots | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
| April 26, 2017 | NC | H 239 | Reduces Court of Appeals Caseload | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |