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
Sept. 30, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
Sept. 30, 2020 MI HB 4332 Authorizes Use of Pneumatic Guns Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA HB 5106 Requires Landlords to Establish Payment Plans for Tenants Prior to Eviction Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI HB 5340 Amends the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act to Allow Access to Private Data (22 - 15)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI HB 4980 Establishes a System to Automatically Set Aside Certain Convictions Under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
Sept. 24, 2020 NJ S 2712 Establishes Minimum Direct Care Staff-to-Resident Ratios in Nursing Homes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI HB 4982 Authorizes Convicts of Marijuana Misdemeanors to Apply for Expungement Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI SB 681 Authorizes Expungement of Misdemeanor Traffic Records for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI SB 682 Prohibits the Public from Viewing Juvenile Criminal Records and Limits the Amount of People able to Review Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
Sept. 23, 2020 OH SB 311 Prohibits the Department of Health from Issuing Certain Mandatory Quarantine Orders Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
Sept. 22, 2020 PA SB 1164 Amends County Coroner Notification Requirements for Contagious Disease Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
Sept. 16, 2020 VA SB 5034 Expands the State Earned Sentence Credit System Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Sept. 15, 2020 VA SB 5035 Authorizes Localities to Establish Law-Enforcement Civilian Oversight Bodies Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Sept. 10, 2020 National S 178 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
Sept. 9, 2020 VA SB 5012 Requires Individual Votes of Virginia Parole Board Members to be Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Sept. 2, 2020 NC HB 1105 Appropriates COVID Relief Checks to Parents Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5)
Sept. 2, 2020 MO HB 2 Amends the Admissibility of Certain Witness Statements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 852 Establishes the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 1079 Prohibits Bundling Foreclosed Properties for the Purpose of Sale Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 9)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 145 Exempts Certain Persons Convicted of Certain Offenses Involving Minors from Mandatory Sex Offender Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 275 Establishes Personal Protective Equipment Stockpile Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 132 Authorizes Incarcerated Transgendered Individuals to be Housed by Gender Identity Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 823 Establishes the Office of Youth and Community Restoration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 852 Establishes the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 493 Requires State-Funded Colleges to Clarify Sexual Assault Allegation Procedures Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 1876 Authorizes Undocumented Immigrant Workers to Qualify for State Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 1867 Requires Employers with 500 Employees to Provide 2 Weeks of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for Full Time Workers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 1299 Requires Law Enforcement Agencies to Report the Termination of Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 1869 Repeals Certain Judicial Fees Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 3234 Authorizes Judges to Offer Misdemeanor Diversion Programs to Certain Defendants Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 3070 Prohibits the Use of Peremptory Challenge to Remove a Prospective Juror on the Basis of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, or Religious Affiliation Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 2537 Requires Hospitals Maintain 3-Month Supply of PPE Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 685 Requires Employers to Report COVID-19 Infections Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 1196 Prohibits Law Enforcement Agencies from Authorizing the Use of Carotid Restraints or Choke Holds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 1506 Requires a State Prosecutor to Investigate Certain Officer-Involved Shootings Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
Aug. 29, 2020 CA AB 2992 Prohibits Employer Punishment for Employee Leave Time Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
Aug. 29, 2020 CA AB 2405 Establishes a Right to Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
Aug. 29, 2020 CA AB 2425 Prohibits the Release of Certain Juvenile Police Records Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Aug. 28, 2020 CA AB 1185 Authorizes Counties to Establish a Sheriff Oversight Board Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
Aug. 28, 2020 CA AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Aug. 28, 2020 CA AB 2762 Prohibits Certain Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
Aug. 28, 2020 VA SB 5029 Prohibits Search and Seizure Based Solely on the Odor of Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
Aug. 27, 2020 NJ A 4369 Repeals Mandatory Minimum Prison Terms For Certain Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
Aug. 27, 2020 NJ A 2370 Establishes Compassionate Release System for Inmates with Terminal Illnesses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/30 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
9/30 HB 4332 Authorizes Use of Pneumatic Guns Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
9/25 HB 5106 Requires Landlords to Establish Payment Plans for Tenants Prior to Eviction Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
9/24 HB 5340 Amends the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act to Allow Access to Private Data (22 - 15)
9/24 HB 4980 Establishes a System to Automatically Set Aside Certain Convictions Under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
9/24 S 2712 Establishes Minimum Direct Care Staff-to-Resident Ratios in Nursing Homes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
9/23 HB 4982 Authorizes Convicts of Marijuana Misdemeanors to Apply for Expungement Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
9/23 SB 681 Authorizes Expungement of Misdemeanor Traffic Records for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
9/23 SB 682 Prohibits the Public from Viewing Juvenile Criminal Records and Limits the Amount of People able to Review Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
9/23 SB 311 Prohibits the Department of Health from Issuing Certain Mandatory Quarantine Orders Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
9/22 SB 1164 Amends County Coroner Notification Requirements for Contagious Disease Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
9/16 SB 5034 Expands the State Earned Sentence Credit System Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
9/15 SB 5035 Authorizes Localities to Establish Law-Enforcement Civilian Oversight Bodies Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
9/10 S 178 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
9/10 SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
9/10 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
9/10 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
9/09 SB 5012 Requires Individual Votes of Virginia Parole Board Members to be Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
9/02 HB 1105 Appropriates COVID Relief Checks to Parents Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5)
9/02 HB 2 Amends the Admissibility of Certain Witness Statements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
8/31 SB 852 Establishes the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
8/31 SB 1079 Prohibits Bundling Foreclosed Properties for the Purpose of Sale Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 9)
8/31 SB 145 Exempts Certain Persons Convicted of Certain Offenses Involving Minors from Mandatory Sex Offender Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
8/31 SB 275 Establishes Personal Protective Equipment Stockpile Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
8/31 SB 132 Authorizes Incarcerated Transgendered Individuals to be Housed by Gender Identity Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
8/31 SB 823 Establishes the Office of Youth and Community Restoration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
8/31 SB 852 Establishes the California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
8/31 SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
8/31 SB 493 Requires State-Funded Colleges to Clarify Sexual Assault Allegation Procedures Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
8/31 AB 1876 Authorizes Undocumented Immigrant Workers to Qualify for State Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
8/31 AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
8/31 AB 1867 Requires Employers with 500 Employees to Provide 2 Weeks of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for Full Time Workers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9)
8/31 AB 1299 Requires Law Enforcement Agencies to Report the Termination of Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
8/31 AB 1869 Repeals Certain Judicial Fees Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
8/31 AB 3234 Authorizes Judges to Offer Misdemeanor Diversion Programs to Certain Defendants Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
8/31 AB 3070 Prohibits the Use of Peremptory Challenge to Remove a Prospective Juror on the Basis of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, or Religious Affiliation Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
8/30 AB 2537 Requires Hospitals Maintain 3-Month Supply of PPE Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
8/30 AB 685 Requires Employers to Report COVID-19 Infections Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
8/30 AB 1196 Prohibits Law Enforcement Agencies from Authorizing the Use of Carotid Restraints or Choke Holds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
8/30 AB 1506 Requires a State Prosecutor to Investigate Certain Officer-Involved Shootings Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
8/29 AB 2992 Prohibits Employer Punishment for Employee Leave Time Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
8/29 AB 2405 Establishes a Right to Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8)
8/29 AB 2425 Prohibits the Release of Certain Juvenile Police Records Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
8/28 AB 1185 Authorizes Counties to Establish a Sheriff Oversight Board Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
8/28 AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
8/28 AB 2762 Prohibits Certain Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
8/28 SB 5029 Prohibits Search and Seizure Based Solely on the Odor of Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
8/27 A 4369 Repeals Mandatory Minimum Prison Terms For Certain Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
8/27 A 2370 Establishes Compassionate Release System for Inmates with Terminal Illnesses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)

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