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. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1522 | Requires Paid Sick Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 935 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 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 | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 889 | Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 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 | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 21, 2012 | CA | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| June 14, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| March 31, 2011 | CA | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 26, 2010 | CA | SB 145 | Prohibiting Denial of Workers' Compensation if the Injury or Death was Related to Certain Personal Characteristics | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 26, 2010 | CA | AB 482 | Prohibiting Use of Credit Reports for Employment Purposes | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | SB 1121 | Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Sept. 4, 2009 | CA | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 26, 2009 | CA | SB 219 | Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| April 23, 2009 | CA | SB 789 | Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| May 21, 2007 | CA | SB 180 | Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Aug. 23, 2006 | CA | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 23, 2006 | CA | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| June 1, 2006 | CA | SB 1162 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | AB 1522 | Requires Paid Sick Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 5/29 | SB 935 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 9/12 | AB 10 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 9/12 | AB 375 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 9/11 | AB 241 | Expands Labor Laws for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 8/31 | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 8/29 | AB 889 | Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 8/28 | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/27 | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 8/21 | HB 2676 | Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 8/20 | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 6/14 | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/30 | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/09 | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 9/08 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/06 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/01 | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 3/31 | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/26 | SB 145 | Prohibiting Denial of Workers' Compensation if the Injury or Death was Related to Certain Personal Characteristics | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/26 | AB 482 | Prohibiting Use of Credit Reports for Employment Purposes | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 6/03 | SB 1121 | Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 9/04 | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/26 | SB 219 | Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 4/23 | SB 789 | Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/27 | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/20 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/05 | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 6/07 | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 5/21 | SB 180 | Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/31 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 8/23 | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/23 | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/17 | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 8/17 | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 6/01 | SB 1162 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |