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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 3, 2018 OK SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - House (57 - 24)
April 26, 2018 IL HB 5599 Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code Bill Passed - House (75 - 31)
April 25, 2018 RI S 2353 Requires Educators to Report Sexual Abuse Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 0)
April 19, 2018 VT S 103 Requires Regulations of Toxic Substances in Products Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
April 19, 2018 DE HB 337 Prohibits Underage Marriage Bill Passed - House (23 - 11)
April 19, 2018 DE HB 337 Prohibits Underage Marriage Bill Passed - House (23 - 11)
April 17, 2018 OK HB 2692 Amends Child Care Licensing Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
April 12, 2018 TN HB 849 Authorizes GPS Monitoring for Domestic Abuse Defendants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 5)
April 12, 2018 MI HB 4891 Authorizes Parents to Monitor Child's Communications Bill Passed - House (105 - 3)
April 12, 2018 NJ S 427 Increases Minimum Age for Marriage to 18 (30 - 5)
April 11, 2018 OH SB 82 Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
April 11, 2018 OH HB 318 Requires New Training Guidelines for School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (92 - 2)
April 9, 2018 CA AB 1976 Amends Lactation Accommodation Requirements Bill Passed - House (57 - 1)
April 4, 2018 TN HB 2331 Requires Schools to Report on Use of Corporal Punishment Bill Passed - House (80 - 1)
April 3, 2018 RI S 2299 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
April 2, 2018 TN SB 1796 Establishes Process to Remove Domestic Abusers from Cell Phone Plans Bill Passed - House (94 - 0)
March 28, 2018 AZ SB 1393 Authorizes Parents to Use Frozen Embryos after Divorce Bill Passed - House (33 - 25)
March 26, 2018 NJ S 482 Authorizes Couples to Enter Into Legally Binding Agreements with Surrogate Mothers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
March 22, 2018 NH HB 628 Requires Paid Family and Medical Leave "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (171 - 162)
March 21, 2018 National HR 1865 Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
March 13, 2018 OK SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
March 13, 2018 OK SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
March 12, 2018 ID H 448 Amends Indecent Exposure Laws Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 0)
March 6, 2018 IN HB 1203 Amends Fertility Clinic Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
Feb. 27, 2018 WA SB 6037 Authorizes Financial Compensation of Surrogates Bill Passed - House (50 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/03 SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - House (57 - 24)
4/26 HB 5599 Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code Bill Passed - House (75 - 31)
4/25 S 2353 Requires Educators to Report Sexual Abuse Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 0)
4/19 S 103 Requires Regulations of Toxic Substances in Products Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
4/19 HB 337 Prohibits Underage Marriage Bill Passed - House (23 - 11)
4/19 HB 337 Prohibits Underage Marriage Bill Passed - House (23 - 11)
4/17 HB 2692 Amends Child Care Licensing Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
4/12 HB 849 Authorizes GPS Monitoring for Domestic Abuse Defendants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 5)
4/12 HB 4891 Authorizes Parents to Monitor Child's Communications Bill Passed - House (105 - 3)
4/12 S 427 Increases Minimum Age for Marriage to 18 (30 - 5)
4/11 SB 82 Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
4/11 HB 318 Requires New Training Guidelines for School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (92 - 2)
4/09 AB 1976 Amends Lactation Accommodation Requirements Bill Passed - House (57 - 1)
4/04 HB 2331 Requires Schools to Report on Use of Corporal Punishment Bill Passed - House (80 - 1)
4/03 S 2299 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
4/02 SB 1796 Establishes Process to Remove Domestic Abusers from Cell Phone Plans Bill Passed - House (94 - 0)
3/28 SB 1393 Authorizes Parents to Use Frozen Embryos after Divorce Bill Passed - House (33 - 25)
3/26 S 482 Authorizes Couples to Enter Into Legally Binding Agreements with Surrogate Mothers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
3/22 HB 628 Requires Paid Family and Medical Leave "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (171 - 162)
3/21 HR 1865 Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
3/13 SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
3/13 SB 1140 Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
3/12 H 448 Amends Indecent Exposure Laws Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 0)
3/06 HB 1203 Amends Fertility Clinic Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
2/27 SB 6037 Authorizes Financial Compensation of Surrogates Bill Passed - House (50 - 47)

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