Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 18, 2018 National S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
Dec. 13, 2018 National S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
Dec. 6, 2018 National PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
Nov. 29, 2018 National PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Nov. 28, 2018 MI SB 1171 Amends Minimum Wage Increases Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
Oct. 17, 2018 PA HB 1822 Establishes Certification Process for Schools to Become Certified Suicide Prevention Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (49 - None)
Oct. 17, 2018 PA SB 554 Establishes Protections for Juvenile Human Trafficking Victims Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
Oct. 17, 2018 PA HB 2138 Establishes Medicaid Work Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
Oct. 15, 2018 PA SB 1095 Authorizes Alternatives to Graduate for Keystone Test Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
Oct. 3, 2018 PA HB 2060 Requires Surrender of Firearms in Protection Abuse Situations Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5)
Sept. 26, 2018 PA SB 1098 Establishes School Bus Safety Grant Program Fund Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0)
Sept. 25, 2018 PA SB 521 Requires CPR Training in High Schools Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
Sept. 17, 2018 National HR 6 Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
Sept. 17, 2018 National S 2554 Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
Sept. 5, 2018 MI HB 5377 Amends Prison Parole Laws Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4)
Aug. 24, 2018 CA SB 820 Prohibits Non-Disclosure Agreements in Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
Aug. 23, 2018 National S Amdt 3967 Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48)
Aug. 21, 2018 CA SB 10 Establishes New Provisions for the Criminal Justice System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Aug. 21, 2018 CA SB 1192 Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
Aug. 1, 2018 National HR 6147 Interior, Environment, Financial Services, and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
July 30, 2018 MA H 4841 Authorizes New Tax Regulations and Insurance Requirements for Short-Term Rentals Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
July 19, 2018 National S Res 584 A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate against the making available of current and former diplomats, officials, and members of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin. Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
July 19, 2018 MA S 2598 Authorizes Diversion Program for First-Time Prostitution Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
July 18, 2018 UT HB 2001 Amends Jurisdictional Boundaries of Utah Inland Port Authority Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 2)
July 17, 2018 National PN 1391 Nomination of James Blew to Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development for the Department of Education (50 - 49)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/18 S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
12/13 S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
12/06 PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
11/29 PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
11/28 SB 1171 Amends Minimum Wage Increases Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
10/17 HB 1822 Establishes Certification Process for Schools to Become Certified Suicide Prevention Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (49 - None)
10/17 SB 554 Establishes Protections for Juvenile Human Trafficking Victims Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
10/17 HB 2138 Establishes Medicaid Work Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
10/15 SB 1095 Authorizes Alternatives to Graduate for Keystone Test Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
10/03 HB 2060 Requires Surrender of Firearms in Protection Abuse Situations Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5)
9/26 SB 1098 Establishes School Bus Safety Grant Program Fund Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0)
9/25 SB 521 Requires CPR Training in High Schools Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
9/17 HR 6 Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
9/17 S 2554 Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
9/05 HB 5377 Amends Prison Parole Laws Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4)
8/24 SB 820 Prohibits Non-Disclosure Agreements in Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
8/23 S Amdt 3967 Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48)
8/21 SB 10 Establishes New Provisions for the Criminal Justice System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
8/21 SB 1192 Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
8/01 HR 6147 Interior, Environment, Financial Services, and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
7/30 H 4841 Authorizes New Tax Regulations and Insurance Requirements for Short-Term Rentals Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
7/19 S Res 584 A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate against the making available of current and former diplomats, officials, and members of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin. Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
7/19 S 2598 Authorizes Diversion Program for First-Time Prostitution Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
7/18 HB 2001 Amends Jurisdictional Boundaries of Utah Inland Port Authority Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 2)
7/17 PN 1391 Nomination of James Blew to Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development for the Department of Education (50 - 49)

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