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, 2020 | NJ | S 3256 | Reduces Penalties for Psilocybin Possession | Bill Passed - House (51 - 23) |
| Dec. 17, 2020 | OH | SB 175 | Expands "Stand Your Ground" Laws | Bill Passed - House (52 - 31) |
| Dec. 4, 2020 | National | HR 3884 | Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 164) |
| Dec. 3, 2020 | National | HR 1380 | Big Cat Public Safety Act | Bill Passed - House (272 - 114) |
| Dec. 2, 2020 | OH | SB 40 | Prohibits State Universities from Enacting Limitations on Campus Free Speech | Bill Passed - House (66 - 27) |
| Dec. 2, 2020 | MI | HB 5679 | Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act | Bill Passed - House (80 - 24) |
| Dec. 2, 2020 | MI | HB 5679 | Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act | Bill Passed - House (80 - 24) |
| Dec. 2, 2020 | MI | HB 5679 | Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act | Bill Passed - House (80 - 24) |
| Dec. 1, 2020 | MA | S 2963 | Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (91 - 67) |
| Dec. 1, 2020 | MI | SB 70 | Authorizes Certain Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, or Human Trafficking | Bill Passed - House (102 - 1) |
| Nov. 19, 2020 | OH | HB 310 | Increases Penalties for Bullying and Hazing | Bill Passed - House (74 - 14) |
| Nov. 18, 2020 | OH | HB 208 | Amends Previous Law to Make Assaulting a Sports Referee a Felony | Bill Passed - House (74 - 13) |
| Nov. 16, 2020 | NJ | S 1163 | Requires Law Enforcement to Wear Body Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 15) |
| Nov. 9, 2020 | VA | HB 5109 | Amends Existing Law Enforcement Officer Training and Qualifications | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| Oct. 29, 2020 | NJ | A 4545 | Requires Instruction on Racial Discrimination, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion | Bill Passed - House (56 - 7) |
| Oct. 23, 2020 | LA | HB 38 | Establishes the Louisiana Police Funding Protection Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 29) |
| Oct. 21, 2020 | LA | SB 77 | Establishes Regulations for Fantasy Sports Gambling | Bill Passed - House (72 - 15) |
| Oct. 21, 2020 | LA | SB 77 | Establishes Regulations for Fantasy Sports Gambling | Bill Passed - House (72 - 15) |
| Oct. 16, 2020 | VA | SB 5007 | Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43) |
| Oct. 16, 2020 | VA | SB 5007 | Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43) |
| Oct. 14, 2020 | VA | SB 5030 | Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34) |
| Oct. 14, 2020 | VA | SB 5030 | Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34) |
| Oct. 14, 2020 | VA | HB 5099 | Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41) |
| Oct. 14, 2020 | VA | HB 5099 | Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41) |
| Oct. 14, 2020 | VA | SB 5038 | Requires the Development of a Comprehensive Crisis Service Continuum Including a MARCUS Alert System | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 37) |