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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2021 | DE | HB 26 | Prohibits Incarcerated Youths from Being Housed in Adult Prisons | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7) |
| May 18, 2021 | CT | SB 1019 | Rescinds the Criminal Records for Low-Level Felonies and Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 18, 2021 | CT | SB 1 | Alleges Racism is a Public Health Crisis | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| May 18, 2021 | CT | SB 1 | Alleges Racism is a Public Health Crisis | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| May 18, 2021 | CT | SB 1091 | Expands the Definition of Domestic Violence to Include Coercive Control | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| May 17, 2021 | IA | SF 342 | Increases Qualified Immunity Protections for Law Enforcement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| May 13, 2021 | DE | SB 78 | Requires Any School Board Member Charged with a Violent Felony to be Suspended | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 1) |
| May 12, 2021 | TX | HB 574 | Establishes 2 New Classes of Election Fraud Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| May 11, 2021 | WI | SB 117 | Amends Laws Related to Police Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| May 6, 2021 | SC | H 3094 | Authorizes Individuals with Concealed Carry Permits to Open Carry Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 16) |
| May 5, 2021 | TN | SB 623 | Prohibits Teaching "Critical Race Theory" in K-12 Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| May 5, 2021 | IA | HF 889 | Prohibits the Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccine Passports | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| May 5, 2021 | IA | HF 889 | Prohibits the Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccine Passports | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| May 5, 2021 | CT | SB 753 | Establishes Measures to End Prison Gerrymandering | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1) |
| May 5, 2021 | ID | S 1217 | Limits the Governor's Powers During a State of Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| May 3, 2021 | NY | A 7127 | Extends Small Business Benefits Established under the "COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Business Act of 2021" | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 19) |
| April 29, 2021 | MT | HB 92 | Authorizes Redress for Wrongfully Convicted Individuals | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| April 29, 2021 | FL | HB 833 | Requires DNA Samples to be Defined as the "Exclusive Property" | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| April 29, 2021 | DE | HB 73 | Amends Guidelines for Probation and Parole Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
| April 29, 2021 | NE | LB 451 | Prohibits the Process Known as Hair Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| April 28, 2021 | IA | HF 802 | Limits the Types of Diversity Training Schools and Governments May Offer | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| April 28, 2021 | AK | HB 76 | Extends the Governor's Disaster Declaration | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| April 28, 2021 | MO | HB 271 | Limits the Authority of Local Health Officials to Close Organizations During a Public Health Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| April 28, 2021 | MO | HB 271 | Limits the Authority of Local Health Officials to Close Organizations During a Public Health Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| April 27, 2021 | HI | SB 726 | Requires Officers Serving a Warrant to Wait Thirty Seconds Before Entry | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| April 27, 2021 | NC | SB 360 | Prohibits Any State Agency from Settling Certain Lawsuits Without the Approval of the General Assembly | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| April 26, 2021 | AR | SB 298 | Classifies Federal Gun Restrictions as Invalid | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| April 26, 2021 | AR | SB 298 | Classifies Federal Gun Restrictions as Invalid | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| April 26, 2021 | AR | SB 573 | Authorizes Concealed Carry in Government Buildings, Parks and Property | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| April 26, 2021 | ID | H 377 | Prohibits Teaching the Topic Known as "Critical Race Theory" | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| April 23, 2021 | MT | HB 701 | Amends Marijuana Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| April 22, 2021 | IN | SB 414 | Requires Universities to Survey Students About the Climate for Free Speech on Campus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (42 - 7) |
| April 22, 2021 | AR | SB 590 | Repeals Mask Mandates by All Government Entities | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| April 22, 2021 | CA | SB 57 | Establishes Safe Injection Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | HB 1547 | Prohibits Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | PN 79-4 | Nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 21, 2021 | AR | HB 1547 | Prohibits Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 21, 2021 | NY | S 5321 | Increases the Maximum Civil Penalty to $1,000 for Mortgagee Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 14) |
| April 20, 2021 | ID | S 1205 | Prohibits Cooperating with Enforcement of Federal Gun Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 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 20, 2021 | AR | SB 615 | Prohibits Governmental Entities from Mandating Vaccine Passports | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| April 19, 2021 | ND | HB 1383 | Prohibits State Enforcement of Federal Regulations on Firearms | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| 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 15, 2021 | IN | SB 398 | Limits the Hours of an Election Drop Box and Expands Voting for Those with Disabilities | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 2) |
| April 15, 2021 | MT | HB 632 | Appropriates Funds as Part of COVID-19 Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| April 15, 2021 | MT | HB 504 | Prohibits Peace Officers from Curtailing the Possession of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |