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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1, 2021 | CA | AB 1084 | Requires Retailers and Department Stores to Have a Gender Neutral Section | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Aug. 30, 2021 | CA | SB 331 | Prohibits Employers from Using Secret Settlements to Prevent Workers from Voicing Harassment Complaints | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| June 3, 2021 | CA | SB 38 | Requires the Beverage Industry to Create an Accessible Recycling and Redemption System | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| May 24, 2021 | CA | SB 62 | Requires Garment Manufacturers to Guarantee Payment of Wages to Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Jan. 21, 2021 | CA | SB 87 | Expands COVID-19 Small Business Assistance | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 2) |
| Aug. 31, 2020 | CA | SB 1102 | Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Aug. 31, 2020 | CA | AB 1299 | Requires Law Enforcement Agencies to Report the Termination of Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
| Aug. 31, 2020 | CA | AB 1867 | Requires Employers with 500 Employees to Provide 2 Weeks of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for Full Time Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Aug. 30, 2020 | CA | SB 973 | Requires Employers to Submit Annual Pay Data Report | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Aug. 30, 2020 | CA | SB 973 | Requires Employers to Submit Annual Pay Data Report | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Aug. 30, 2020 | CA | AB 685 | Requires Employers to Report COVID-19 Infections | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| Aug. 29, 2020 | CA | AB 979 | Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Aug. 29, 2020 | CA | AB 2992 | Prohibits Employer Punishment for Employee Leave Time | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3) |
| Aug. 28, 2020 | CA | AB 2762 | Prohibits Certain Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0) |
| July 2, 2020 | CA | SB 1383 | Expands Protections for Paid Family Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| June 26, 2020 | CA | SB 1159 | Requires Coverage of COVID-19 Related Illness and Death Under Workers' Compensation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| June 25, 2020 | CA | SB 793 | Prohibits Flavored Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| June 25, 2020 | CA | SB 908 | Requires the Licensing of Debt Collectors | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| June 25, 2020 | CA | SB 1257 | Establishes Employment Safety Standards for Domestic Service Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| June 24, 2020 | CA | ACA 5 | Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies | Amendment Adopted - Senate (30 - 10) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 5 | Establishes Criteria For Determining Who Is An Employee | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 5 | Establishes Criteria For Determining Who Is An Employee | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 44 | Prohibits the Sale and Manufacturing of Fur Products | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Sept. 9, 2019 | CA | AB 35 | Requires Reporting on Employee Blood Level Testing for Lead | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Sept. 5, 2019 | CA | AB 378 | Authorizes Collective Bargaining for Childcare Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Sept. 5, 2019 | CA | AB 51 | Prohibits Forced Employment Arbitration Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| June 17, 2019 | CA | SB 83 | Increases State Paid Family Leave Benefits from 6 to 8 Weeks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 574 | Requires the Disclosure of Fragrances in Cosmetic Products | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| May 28, 2019 | CA | SB 43 | Establishes the Feasibility and Practicality of Assessing the Carbon Intensity of Retail Products Subject to the Sales and Use Tax Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| May 23, 2019 | CA | SB 392 | Amends Safer Consumer Products Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 142 | Requires Additional Lactation Accommodations for Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 58 | Authorizes Bars to Remain Open Until 3 AM | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| Aug. 24, 2018 | CA | SB 820 | Prohibits Non-Disclosure Agreements in Sexual Assault, Harassment, or Discrimination Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 654 | Authorizes Paid Family Leave | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 1241 | Amends Current Provisions of Labor Contracts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 654 | Authorizes Paid Family Leave | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 1843 | Prohibits Employers from Asking Applicants to Disclose Criminal History | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 15, 2016 | CA | AB 1687 | Requires Entertainment Database Websites to Remove Actor's Age Upon Request | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| March 31, 2016 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 31, 2016 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Sept. 4, 2015 | CA | AB 888 | Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Plastic Microbeads | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 27, 2015 | CA | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 27, 2015 | CA | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 151 | Increases Smoking Age | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 140 | Prohibits Smoking Electronic Cigarettes in Certain Indoor Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 3 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |