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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 22, 2021 | IL | HB 1064 | Authorizes a Person Who Was Convicted Under the Age of 21 for First Degree Murder to be Released for Parole After 40 Years | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| April 22, 2021 | IL | HB 2542 | Authorizes Individuals to Change Their Names on Various Acts Regarding Criminal Code | Bill Passed - House (85 - 27) |
| April 22, 2021 | CA | SB 57 | Establishes Safe Injection Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | SB 573 | Authorizes Concealed Carry in Government Buildings, Parks and Property | Bill Passed - House (78 - 16) |
| April 21, 2021 | NY | S 830 | Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole | Bill Passed - House (97 - 52) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | HB 1547 | Prohibits Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | HB 1547 | Prohibits Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 21, 2021 | NY | S 830 | Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole | Bill Passed - House (97 - 52) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | PN 79-4 | Nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | HR 1573 | Access to Counsel Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (217 - 207) |
| April 21, 2021 | NY | S 5321 | Increases the Maximum Civil Penalty to $1,000 for Mortgagee Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 14) |
| April 21, 2021 | PA | HB 747 | Authorizes Retail Stores to Remain Open with One Staff and One Shopper During Disaster Emergency Declarations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 84) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | HB 1761 | Prohibits the Teaching of CRT in Schools | Bill Passed - House (63 - 13) |
| April 20, 2021 | AR | SB 590 | Repeals Mask Mandates by All Government Entities | Bill Passed - House (69 - 20) |
| April 20, 2021 | AR | SB 615 | Prohibits Governmental Entities from Mandating Vaccine Passports | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| April 20, 2021 | ID | S 1205 | Prohibits Cooperating with Enforcement of Federal Gun Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| April 20, 2021 | NV | AB 286 | Prohibits Production and Sale of Ghost Guns | Bill Passed - House (26 - 16) |
| April 20, 2021 | AL | SB 91 | Prohibits Racial Profiling | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| April 20, 2021 | AL | SB 91 | Prohibits Racial Profiling | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| April 19, 2021 | ND | HB 1383 | Prohibits State Enforcement of Federal Regulations on Firearms | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| April 19, 2021 | ND | HB 1383 | Prohibits State Enforcement of Federal Regulations on Firearms | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 12) |
| April 19, 2021 | NV | SB 6 | Authorizes Seizure of Firearms from "High-Risk" Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
| April 19, 2021 | NV | SB 6 | Authorizes Seizure of Firearms from "High-Risk" Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
| April 16, 2021 | IL | HB 25 | Establishes the Right to Counsel for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (82 - 25) |
| April 15, 2021 | IN | HB 1123 | Authorizes Lawmakers to Call a Special Session During a Public Emergency | Veto Override Passed - House (59 - 26) |