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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 11, 2020 | FL | SB 1794 | Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 45) |
| March 11, 2020 | NH | HB 1410 | Prohibits Use of Flavors in Vaping Products | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (192 - 143) |
| March 11, 2020 | MD | HB 550 | Expands Marijuana Decriminalization Policies | Bill Passed - House (93 - 44) |
| March 11, 2020 | MS | SB 2459 | Establishes Legal Definition for Criminal Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15) |
| March 11, 2020 | MD | HB 231 | Establishes the "Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act" | Bill Passed - House (95 - 42) |
| March 11, 2020 | OK | SB 1674 | Increases Penalties for Selling or Possessing Drugs Near Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
| March 11, 2020 | OK | HB 3165 | Amends Criminal Law to Shift Burden of Proof from Defendant to Prosecution | Bill Passed - House (73 - 23) |
| March 11, 2020 | KY | HB 432 | Reduces the Governor's Role Over the State Investment Commission | Bill Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| March 10, 2020 | IN | HB 1022 | Expands the Definition of Panhandling | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 14) |
| March 10, 2020 | UT | HB 246 | Establishes Additional Psychiatry Positions at the University of Utah | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 10) |
| March 10, 2020 | FL | SB 70 | Establishes Alert Systems in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
| March 10, 2020 | SD | SB 70 | Authorizes Use of Spanish for Driver License Testing | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| March 10, 2020 | SD | SB 151 | Defines "Critical Infrastructure" and Restructures Associated Crimes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| March 10, 2020 | WA | SB 6617 | Expands Access to Accessory Dwelling Unit Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| March 10, 2020 | UT | HB 207 | Establishes an Insulin Price Cap | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 2) |
| March 10, 2020 | UT | SB 39 | Increases Funding for Affordable Housing Development | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| March 10, 2020 | WY | HB 159 | Requires Payment of Ad Valorem Tax on Mineral Production | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| March 10, 2020 | FL | SB 1286 | Expands the List of Contraband in Specified Facilities | Bill Passed - House (71 - 43) |
| March 10, 2020 | IA | SF 2275 | Increases Penalties for Eluding Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| March 10, 2020 | GA | SB 386 | Expands State-Funded Private School Scholarships for Students with Learning Disabilities | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 22) |
| March 10, 2020 | OK | HB 2587 | Prohibits Denying Healthcare or Adjusting Coverage or Cost Based on Age or Quality of Life | Bill Passed - House (69 - 21) |
| March 9, 2020 | WA | HB 1590 | Authorizes Local Affordable Housing Tax to be Imposed by a Councilmanic Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| March 9, 2020 | WA | HB 1590 | Authorizes Local Affordable Housing Tax to be Imposed by a Councilmanic Authority | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| March 9, 2020 | WA | SB 6561 | Establishes a Student Loan Program for Undocumented Students | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| March 9, 2020 | UT | HB 209 | Authorizes Health Data Committee to Disclose Identifiable Health Data | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 20) |
| March 9, 2020 | UT | HB 209 | Authorizes Health Data Committee to Disclose Identifiable Health Data | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 20) |
| March 9, 2020 | SD | SB 70 | Authorizes Use of Spanish for Driver License Testing | Bill Passed - House (42 - 24) |
| March 9, 2020 | MS | SB 2112 | Prohibits Public Employers from Requiring Applicants to Disclose Felony Convictions on Application | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 17) |
| March 9, 2020 | FL | SB 1794 | Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| March 9, 2020 | MN | SF 3813 | Appropriates Funding for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Public Health Response Planning | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 0) |
| March 9, 2020 | CO | HB 20-1307 | Prohibits the "Gay Panic" Murder Defense | Bill Passed - House (45 - 19) |
| March 9, 2020 | MO | HB 1604 | Repeals the Residency Requirement for Municipal Police Forces | Bill Passed - House (106 - 43) |
| March 9, 2020 | MO | HB 1604 | Repeals the Residency Requirement for Municipal Police Forces | Bill Passed - House (106 - 43) |
| March 8, 2020 | VA | HB 1250 | Establishes the "Community Policing Act" | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 812 | Prohibits Unlicensed Individuals to Deal Firearms from Purchasing More Than One Gun in a 30-Day Period | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1150 | Eliminates Requirement that Jails and Prisons Ascertain Citizenship Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1150 | Eliminates Requirement that Jails and Prisons Ascertain Citizenship Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1250 | Establishes the "Community Policing Act" | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 2419 | Authorizes Release of Certain Individuals Without Bail Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4615 | Increases Penalties for Critical Infrastructure Protesting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 33) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4615 | Increases Penalties for Critical Infrastructure Protesting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 33) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4958 | Prohibits Suspension of Driver's License for Unpaid Fines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 10) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4176 | Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4176 | Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4615 | Increases Penalties for Critical Infrastructure Protesting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| March 7, 2020 | WV | HB 4615 | Increases Penalties for Critical Infrastructure Protesting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| March 6, 2020 | WA | HB 1590 | Authorizes Local Affordable Housing Tax to be Imposed by a Councilmanic Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| March 6, 2020 | WA | HB 1590 | Authorizes Local Affordable Housing Tax to be Imposed by a Councilmanic Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| March 6, 2020 | UT | HB 243 | Requires Warning Labels on Pornography | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| March 6, 2020 | WV | SB 797 | Authorizes Hospitals to Employ Police Officers | Bill Passed - House (76 - 23) |