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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28, 2021 | IA | SJR 7 | Authorizes Referendum as to Keeping and Bearing of Arms | (58 - 41) |
| Jan. 28, 2021 | IA | SJR 7 | Authorizes Referendum as to Keeping and Bearing of Arms | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| June 11, 2020 | IA | HF 2647 | Amends Law Enforcement Policies and Training Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
| June 11, 2020 | IA | HF 2647 | Amends Law Enforcement Policies and Training Requirements | Bill Passed - House (98 - 0) |
| June 10, 2020 | IA | HF 684 | Establishes Medical Amnesty for Under-Aged Individuals in Alcohol-Related Emergencies | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
| June 5, 2020 | IA | SF 2413 | Increases Penalties for Trespassing on Animal Food Operations | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| June 5, 2020 | IA | SF 2413 | Increases Penalties for Trespassing on Animal Food Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11) |
| June 3, 2020 | IA | SF 2348 | Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| June 3, 2020 | IA | HF 2502 | Amends Gun Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| June 3, 2020 | IA | SF 2348 | Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| March 10, 2020 | IA | SF 2275 | Increases Penalties for Eluding Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| March 3, 2020 | IA | SF 2348 | Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| March 3, 2020 | IA | SF 2348 | Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| March 3, 2020 | IA | HF 684 | Establishes Medical Amnesty for Under-Aged Individuals in Alcohol-Related Emergencies | Bill Passed - House (95 - 3) |
| March 2, 2020 | IA | SF 2275 | Increases Penalties for Eluding Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| Feb. 27, 2020 | IA | HF 2502 | Amends Gun Policies | Bill Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| April 27, 2019 | IA | HF 766 | Establishes a Health and Human Services Budget for FY 2019-2020 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| April 27, 2019 | IA | HF 766 | Establishes a Health and Human Services Budget for FY 2019-2020 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| April 26, 2019 | IA | HF 766 | Establishes a Health and Human Services Budget for FY 2019-2020 | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| April 26, 2019 | IA | HF 766 | Establishes a Health and Human Services Budget for FY 2019-2020 | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| April 22, 2019 | IA | SF 617 | Authorizes Sports Betting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 31) |
| April 17, 2019 | IA | SF 617 | Authorizes Sports Betting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| April 2, 2019 | IA | SF 516 | Requires Employers to Verify Employee Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 27, 2019 | IA | SF 513 | Authorizes Women to Buy Birth Control Without Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| March 26, 2019 | IA | SF 523 | Expands Penalties for Fetal Homicide | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| March 14, 2019 | IA | SF 274 | Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| March 12, 2019 | IA | SF 519 | Establishes Trespass Charges for Undercover Investigators at Certain Agricultural Facilities | Bill Passed - House (65 - 32) |
| March 12, 2019 | IA | SF 519 | Establishes Trespass Charges for Undercover Investigators at Certain Agricultural Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| March 11, 2019 | IA | SF 274 | Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| Feb. 20, 2019 | IA | HF 262 | Prohibits Pyramid Promotional Schemes | Bill Passed - House (88 - 10) |
| April 4, 2018 | IA | SF 481 | Requires Law Enforcement for Comply with ICE Detainer Requests | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| April 3, 2018 | IA | SF 481 | Requires Law Enforcement for Comply with ICE Detainer Requests | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| April 20, 2017 | IA | HF 653 | Reduces Government Fund Allocations to Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| April 19, 2017 | IA | HF 653 | Reduces Government Fund Allocations to Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| April 12, 2017 | IA | SF 481 | Requires Law Enforcement for Comply with ICE Detainer Requests | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 4, 2017 | IA | HF 517 | Authorizes Use of Deadly Force when Deemed Necessary | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 23, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 9, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| March 7, 2017 | IA | HF 517 | Authorizes Use of Deadly Force when Deemed Necessary | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| April 22, 2016 | IA | HF 2460 | Appropriates Funding for Health and Human Services | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| April 20, 2016 | IA | HF 2460 | Appropriates Funding for Health and Human Services | Bill Passed - House (56 - 42) |
| March 8, 2016 | IA | SF 2284 | Amends Definition of Hate Crime to Include Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| March 8, 2016 | IA | SF 2284 | Amends Definition of Hate Crime to Include Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| Feb. 25, 2016 | IA | SF 2289 | Expands Criminal Offenses for Animal Mistreatment | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2016 | IA | SF 2289 | Expands Criminal Offenses for Animal Mistreatment | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 23, 2016 | IA | HF 2281 | Authorizes Individuals Under the age of 14 to Posses a Handgun | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| March 17, 2015 | IA | SF 334 | Prohibits Sexual-Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| March 12, 2015 | IA | SF 166 | Authorizes Fantasy Sports Leagues | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IA | SF 219 | Reduces Penalties for Possession of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| May 1, 2014 | IA | SF 2360 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Oil | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |