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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 27, 2015 | CA | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 17, 2015 | CA | AB 1100 | Increases Ballot Initiative Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 29, 2015 | CA | SB 277 | Amends School Immunization Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 19, 2015 | CA | SB 88 | Amends Water Use Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 4, 2015 | CA | SB 128 | Authorizes Prescription of "Aid-in-Dying Drugs" | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 788 | Repeals Offshore Oil and Gas Leases | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 32 | Establishes Certain Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 185 | Requires Public Retirement Systems to Divest from Coal Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 350 | Establishes Renewable Energy Production Targets | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 548 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 151 | Increases Smoking Age | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 4 | Expands Health Care Coverage to Certain Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 140 | Prohibits Smoking Electronic Cigarettes in Certain Indoor Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 124 | Limits the Use of Solitary Confinement for Juveniles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 588 | Authorizes Labor Commissioner to Enforce the Payment of Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 172 | Repeals Requirement for High School Seniors to Pass Exit Exam | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| May 14, 2015 | CA | SB 277 | Amends School Immunization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 7, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 270 | Prohibits Retailers from Using Single-Use Carryout Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1522 | Requires Paid Sick Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Aug. 28, 2014 | CA | SB 199 | Requires Certain Replica Guns to be Sold in Fluorescent Colors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1014 | Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 610 | Amends Franchise Agreement Terms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | AB 1699 | Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Microplastics | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Aug. 19, 2014 | CA | AB 420 | Prohibits Student Suspensions for Certain Actions and Misconduct | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| June 23, 2014 | CA | AJR 1 | Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| June 15, 2014 | CA | SB 852 | 2014-2015 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1132 | Establishes a Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 16) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1253 | Amends Legislative Initiative Measure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1000 | Requires Health Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 935 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Requires Public Access Route to Martin's Beach | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 1372 | Amends the Corporate Tax Rate | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Expands Prevention and Response Programs for Oil Spills | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 1010 | Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 27, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| May 8, 2014 | CA | SB 27 | Requires Certain Nonprofit Organizations to Disclose Donors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| May 8, 2014 | CA | SB 962 | Requires Smartphones to Include a Kill Switch | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| May 5, 2014 | CA | SB 1038 | Amends Juvenile Court Records Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| April 24, 2014 | CA | SB 962 | Requires Smartphones to Include a Kill Switch | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | CA | AB 800 | Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | CA | SB 383 | Authorizes Businesses to Collect Certain Cardholder Information in Online Transactions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 359 | Appropriates Funds for Hybrid and Zero Emission Vehicle Use | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 755 | Expands List of Crimes that Disqualify an Individual from Firearm Ownership | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 374 | Prohibits Semiautomatic Rifles with Detachable Magazines | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 60 | Authorizes Driver's License for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | CA | SB 4 | Amends Hydraulic Fracturing Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Sept. 11, 2013 | CA | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Sept. 10, 2013 | CA | SB 649 | Classifies Certain Drug Infractions as Misdemeanors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 10, 2013 | CA | AB 484 | Amends State School Testing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Sept. 10, 2013 | CA | AB 48 | Prohibits Large-Capacity Magazines and Large-Capacity Conversion Kits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2013 | CA | AB 711 | Prohibits Lead Ammunition for Hunting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 9, 2013 | CA | AB 4 | Prohibits Law Enforcement from Detaining Individuals Solely Based on Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 26, 2013 | CA | AB 721 | Amends Transportation of Controlled Substances Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 26, 2013 | CA | AB 154 | Authorizes Certain Individuals to Perform Aspiration Abortion Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| July 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 3, 2013 | CA | AB 1266 | Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| June 27, 2013 | CA | AB 277 | Authorizes Gaming on Traditional Tribal Territory | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| June 14, 2013 | CA | AB 76 | Specifies that Compliance with the California Public Records Act is Optional | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 53 | Requires Ammunition Purchasers to Undergo a Background Check | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 323 | Prohibits Tax-Exempt Status for Organizations that Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 391 | Establishes Real Estate Transaction Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| May 24, 2013 | CA | SB 648 | Prohibits the Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Certain Public Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| May 20, 2013 | CA | SB 439 | Exempts Certain Medical Marijuana Collectives and Cooperatives from Prosecution | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 16, 2013 | CA | SB 552 | Authorizes a Violence Awareness Component of School Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| May 2, 2013 | CA | SB 649 | Classifies Certain Drug Infractions as Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 2, 2013 | CA | SB 501 | Requires Social Networking Sites to Remove Personal Identifying Information | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 7, 2013 | CA | SB 1-1 | Expands Eligibility for Medi-Cal Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 889 | Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2189 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 23, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 472 | Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2348 | Authorizes Registered Nurses to Dispense Contraceptives | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 21, 2012 | CA | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| July 6, 2012 | CA | SB 1029 | Authorizes the Sale of State Bonds for a High-Speed Rail | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |