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 1, 2019 | NY | S 4573 | Reduces Amount of Time Workers on Strike Must Wait to Collect Unemployment | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 14) |
| April 30, 2019 | CO | SB 19-085 | Establishes the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 27, 2019 | CO | SB 19-085 | Establishes the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act | Bill Passed - House (40 - 21) |
| April 24, 2019 | WA | HB 1155 | Requires Uninterrupted Breaks for Health Care Workers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 16) |
| April 24, 2019 | WA | HB 1155 | Requires Uninterrupted Breaks for Health Care Workers | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 24) |
| April 24, 2019 | WA | SB 5497 | Establishes Washington as a Sanctuary State | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| April 22, 2019 | WA | HB 1324 | Establishes the Washington Rural Development and Opportunity Zone Act | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| April 22, 2019 | NV | SB 224 | Authorizes Confidentiality Requirements for Public Employee Retirement Records | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| April 18, 2019 | WA | HB 1575 | Amends Labor Law Concerning Public Employee Collective Bargaining | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| April 18, 2019 | WA | HB 1575 | Amends Labor Law Concerning Public Employee Collective Bargaining | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| April 13, 2019 | MT | SB 160 | Establishes Presumptive Health Care Coverage for Firefighters | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| April 12, 2019 | WA | HB 1575 | Amends Labor Law Concerning Public Employee Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
| April 12, 2019 | WA | HB 1575 | Amends Labor Law Concerning Public Employee Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
| April 12, 2019 | WA | SB 5497 | Establishes Washington as a Sanctuary State | Bill Passed - House (57 - 38) |
| April 12, 2019 | CO | SB 19-1025 | Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 11, 2019 | TX | SB 2487 | Prohibits Local Governments from Imposing Regulations on Private Businesses for Employee Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| April 11, 2019 | IL | SB 10 | Increases Teacher Salaries to $40,000 | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| April 11, 2019 | TX | SB 2485 | Prohibits Local Governments from Imposing Regulations on Private Businesses Regarding Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| April 11, 2019 | IL | HB 2670 | Expands Definition of "Mitigating Factors" | Bill Passed - House (69 - 42) |
| April 9, 2019 | RI | H 5663 | Requires Firefighters to Receive Overtime Pay After 42 Hours | Bill Passed - House (62 - 9) |
| April 9, 2019 | IL | HB 2078 | Increases Teacher Salary to $40,000 | Bill Passed - House (79 - 31) |
| April 9, 2019 | IL | HB 2451 | Increases the Annual Cost of Living for Retired Firefighters | Bill Passed - House (72 - 40) |
| April 5, 2019 | VT | H 107 | Establishes a Paid Statewide Family and Medical Leave Program | Bill Passed - House (92 - 52) |
| April 4, 2019 | IL | HB 1653 | Increases Penalties for Employers Who Commit Wage Theft | Bill Passed - House (69 - 43) |
| April 2, 2019 | ME | LD 278 | Prohibits Employers from Basing Wages on Employee's Salary History | Bill Passed - House (86 - 54) |
| April 2, 2019 | ME | LD 278 | Prohibits Employers from Basing Wages on Employee's Salary History | Bill Passed - House (86 - 54) |
| April 2, 2019 | IA | SF 516 | Requires Employers to Verify Employee Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| April 2, 2019 | ME | LD 278 | Prohibits Employers from Basing Wages on Employee's Salary History | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| April 2, 2019 | ME | LD 278 | Prohibits Employers from Basing Wages on Employee's Salary History | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| March 31, 2019 | MD | HB 994 | Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 14) |
| March 31, 2019 | MD | HB 994 | Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 40) |
| March 31, 2019 | NY | A 2006 | Establishes an Education, Labor, Housing and Family Assistance Budget for FY 2019-2020 | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| March 28, 2019 | MD | HB 166 | Increases State Minimum Wage | Veto Override Passed - House (96 - 43) |
| March 28, 2019 | KY | HB 358 | Authorizes Pension Relief for Local Health Departments, Regional Universities and Other Groups | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 39) |
| March 28, 2019 | IL | HB 253 | Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" | Bill Passed - House (72 - 37) |
| March 28, 2019 | IL | HB 253 | Classifies University Graduate and Research Assistants as "Employees" | Bill Passed - House (72 - 37) |
| March 28, 2019 | IL | HB 2275 | Repeals Section 4.5 of Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 35) |
| March 27, 2019 | National | HR 7 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Bill Passed - House (242 - 187) |
| March 27, 2019 | OR | HB 2016 | Establishes a Worker's Right to Participate in Labor Unions | Bill Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| March 26, 2019 | ME | LD 75 | Requires the Protection of Earned Pay | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (86 - 55) |
| March 21, 2019 | NH | SB 10 | Increases the State Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| March 20, 2019 | NH | SB 1 | Establishes Paid Family and Medical Leave | Bill Passed - House (219 - 142) |
| March 19, 2019 | ME | LD 75 | Requires the Protection of Earned Pay | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 14, 2019 | MD | HB 166 | Increases State Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 14, 2019 | NH | HB 186 | Increases Minimum Wage to $9.50 by 2020 | Bill Passed - House (210 - 145) |
| March 10, 2019 | NM | HB 85 | Prohibits Local "Right to Work" Ordinances | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| March 10, 2019 | NM | HB 85 | Prohibits Local "Right to Work" Ordinances | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| March 7, 2019 | ME | LD 477 | Appropriates Relief to Federal Employees Affected by Federal Shutdown | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| March 7, 2019 | IL | SB 1474 | Prohibits Local Right to Work Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| March 7, 2019 | IL | SB 1474 | Prohibits Local Right to Work Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| March 1, 2019 | MD | HB 166 | Increases State Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (96 - 44) |
| Feb. 28, 2019 | AZ | HB 2523 | Authorizes Employers to Pay Less than Minimum Wage to Full-Time Students | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| Feb. 28, 2019 | MT | HB 547 | Prohibits Employers from Stopping Employees from Discussing Wages | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 28, 2019 | MT | HB 547 | Prohibits Employers from Stopping Employees from Discussing Wages | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 28, 2019 | CO | SB 19-1025 | Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History | Bill Passed - House (42 - 22) |
| Feb. 26, 2019 | ID | H 153 | Increases State Teacher Pay | Bill Passed - House (61 - 9) |
| Feb. 22, 2019 | NM | HB 85 | Prohibits Local "Right to Work" Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (43 - 23) |
| Feb. 22, 2019 | NM | HB 85 | Prohibits Local "Right to Work" Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (43 - 23) |
| Feb. 22, 2019 | KY | SB 18 | Establishes Employment Protections for Pregnant Women | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Feb. 14, 2019 | IL | SB 1 | Increases Minimum Wage to $15 | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
| Feb. 14, 2019 | NH | HB 253 | Prohibits Employers from Asking Job Applicants About Criminal History | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (213 - 142) |
| Feb. 14, 2019 | NH | SB 1 | Establishes Paid Family and Medical Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 10) |
| Feb. 7, 2019 | IL | SB 1 | Increases Minimum Wage to $15 | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| Jan. 31, 2019 | NJ | A 15 | Increases State Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| Jan. 31, 2019 | NJ | A 15 | Increases State Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour | Bill Passed - House (52 - 25) |
| Jan. 31, 2019 | NH | SB 2 | Increases the Amount of Funds Allocated for Job Training | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| Jan. 23, 2019 | DE | HB 2 | Establishes Protections for Federal Workers During a Shutdown | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |