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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 26, 2017 | MA | S 2200 | Amends Various Criminal Justice Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Oct. 11, 2017 | MA | Amdt 1 | Prohibits Sale or Possession of "Bump Stocks" | Bill Passed - House (152 - 3) |
| July 20, 2017 | MA | H 3818 | Amends Voter-Passed Marijuana Law | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| July 7, 2017 | MA | H 3800 | Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| July 7, 2017 | MA | H 3800 | Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - House (140 - 9) |
| June 22, 2017 | MA | H 3776 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| June 21, 2017 | MA | H 3768 | Authorizes Reforms to Recreational Marijuana Laws | Bill Passed - House (126 - 28) |
| May 25, 2017 | MA | H 3601 | Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
| May 24, 2017 | MA | H 3034 | Limits the Use of Prison Labor | Bill Passed - House (120 - 35) |
| April 25, 2017 | MA | H 3601 | Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year | Bill Passed - House (159 - 1) |
| June 9, 2016 | MA | S 2311 | Amends Residential Zoning Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 1, 2016 | MA | S 735 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (116 - 36) |
| May 12, 2016 | MA | S 735 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| April 28, 2016 | MA | S 2269 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| April 7, 2016 | MA | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| March 9, 2016 | MA | H 4049 | Establishes Regulations for Ride-Sharing Companies | Bill Passed - House (139 - 16) |
| Sept. 17, 2015 | MA | S 1981 | Requires Foreclosure Title Clearing | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| July 23, 2014 | MA | S 2283 | Authorizes Withdrawal Orders around Reproductive Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (116 - 35) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - House (131 - 18) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| July 9, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| July 1, 2014 | MA | Amdt 17 | Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/26 | S 2200 | Amends Various Criminal Justice Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 10/11 | Amdt 1 | Prohibits Sale or Possession of "Bump Stocks" | Bill Passed - House (152 - 3) |
| 7/20 | H 3818 | Amends Voter-Passed Marijuana Law | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 7/07 | H 3800 | Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 7/07 | H 3800 | Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - House (140 - 9) |
| 6/22 | H 3776 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 6/21 | H 3768 | Authorizes Reforms to Recreational Marijuana Laws | Bill Passed - House (126 - 28) |
| 5/25 | H 3601 | Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
| 5/24 | H 3034 | Limits the Use of Prison Labor | Bill Passed - House (120 - 35) |
| 4/25 | H 3601 | Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year | Bill Passed - House (159 - 1) |
| 6/09 | S 2311 | Amends Residential Zoning Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 6/01 | S 735 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (116 - 36) |
| 5/12 | S 735 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 4/28 | S 2269 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 4/07 | S 2220 | Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 3/09 | H 4049 | Establishes Regulations for Ride-Sharing Companies | Bill Passed - House (139 - 16) |
| 9/17 | S 1981 | Requires Foreclosure Title Clearing | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - House (122 - 30) |
| 7/23 | S 2283 | Authorizes Withdrawal Orders around Reproductive Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (116 - 35) |
| 7/16 | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| 7/16 | H 4184 | Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Conference Report Adopted - House (131 - 18) |
| 7/16 | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| 7/09 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Bill Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 7/01 | Amdt 17 | Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7) |