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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 25, 2020 | CA | SB 795 | Appropriates Funds for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Aid | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| June 22, 2020 | CA | SB 1138 | Requires Land Zoned for Shelters Meet Certain Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| Jan. 30, 2020 | CA | SB 50 | Amends City Housing and Transportation Accommodations and Developments | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Sept. 13, 2019 | CA | AB 68 | Amends Municipality and County Process for Reviewing and Approving Accessory Dwelling Units | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 1482 | Establishes Rental Increase Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Sept. 6, 2019 | CA | SB 330 | Establishes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 5 | Establishes the Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 330 | Establishes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| May 23, 2019 | CA | SB 329 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| June 1, 2017 | CA | SB 35 | Amends Affordable Housing Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 24, 2016 | CA | SB 1150 | Authorizes Heirs to Receive Home Loan Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Expands Prevention and Response Programs for Oil Spills | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 968 | Requires Public Access Route to Martin's Beach | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| May 29, 2013 | CA | SB 391 | Establishes Real Estate Transaction Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| July 2, 2012 | CA | SB 900 | Establishes Regulations for Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| July 2, 2012 | CA | AB 278 | Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| March 11, 2010 | CA | SBx8 32 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 14 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 15 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Implementing Prop 1A Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| July 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Aug. 29, 2006 | CA | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| May 30, 2006 | CA | SB 1796 | Overhaul Flood and Levee Board | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 30, 2006 | CA | SB 1576 | Transitional Housing Services for Foster Youth | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 4, 2006 | CA | SB 1689 | Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| May 4, 2006 | CA | AB 140 | Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/25 | SB 795 | Appropriates Funds for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Aid | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 6/22 | SB 1138 | Requires Land Zoned for Shelters Meet Certain Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 1/30 | SB 50 | Amends City Housing and Transportation Accommodations and Developments | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 9/13 | AB 68 | Amends Municipality and County Process for Reviewing and Approving Accessory Dwelling Units | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 9/10 | AB 1482 | Establishes Rental Increase Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 9/06 | SB 330 | Establishes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| 5/29 | SB 5 | Establishes the Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| 5/29 | SB 330 | Establishes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 5/23 | SB 329 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 6/01 | SB 35 | Amends Affordable Housing Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 8/24 | SB 1150 | Authorizes Heirs to Receive Home Loan Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 8/29 | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 8/29 | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 8/27 | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 8/21 | SB 968 | Authorizes Public Access Route to Martins Beach | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 5/28 | SB 1319 | Expands Prevention and Response Programs for Oil Spills | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/28 | SB 968 | Requires Public Access Route to Martin's Beach | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 5/29 | SB 391 | Establishes Real Estate Transaction Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 7/02 | SB 900 | Establishes Regulations for Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 7/02 | AB 278 | Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/30 | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 3/11 | SBx8 32 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 14 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 15 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Implementing Prop 1A Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 7/07 | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/30 | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 8/29 | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 5/30 | SB 1796 | Overhaul Flood and Levee Board | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/30 | SB 1576 | Transitional Housing Services for Foster Youth | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/04 | SB 1689 | Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 5/04 | AB 140 | Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |