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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18, 2019 | PA | SB 501 | Amends Parole, Probation, and Criminal Sentencing Guidelines | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| Dec. 16, 2019 | NJ | A 5823 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Dec. 16, 2019 | NJ | A 5823 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Nov. 21, 2019 | PA | HB 49 | Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| Nov. 20, 2019 | PA | HB 1402 | Establishes and Defines the Crime of Sexual Extortion | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| Nov. 20, 2019 | PA | HB 321 | Prohibits Abortions Based on a Diagnosis of Down Syndrome | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Nov. 13, 2019 | MI | HB 4687 | Repeals Prohibition of Deer-Baiting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Nov. 13, 2019 | MI | HB 4687 | Repeals Prohibition of Deer-Baiting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Nov. 7, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| Nov. 6, 2019 | OH | SB 155 | Requires Potential Abortion Reversal Drugs be made Available | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Nov. 6, 2019 | OH | SB 208 | Establishes Requirements for Abortions Resulting in Premature Birth | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Nov. 5, 2019 | WI | SB 49 | Prohibits Prostitution Charges Against Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Oct. 29, 2019 | IL | SB 667 | Limits the Cost of Insulin to $100 per 30-day Supply | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 7) |
| Oct. 24, 2019 | MI | SB 174 | Extends Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Oct. 23, 2019 | PA | HB 49 | Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20) |
| Sept. 24, 2019 | MI | HB 4231 | Appropriates $2.2 Billion for the State Corrections Budget for Fiscal Year 2020 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | SB 310 | Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | SB 310 | Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 1215 | Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 1215 | Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 32 | Prohibits Private Prisons and ICE Detention Centers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 963 | Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 44 | Prohibits the Sale and Manufacturing of Fur Products | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Sept. 9, 2019 | CA | AB 1669 | Increases Firearm Purchasing Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |