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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2015 | MD | SB 183 | Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| April 13, 2015 | MD | SB 183 | Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 8, 2015 | MD | SB 743 | Authorizes New Birth Certificates for Sex Changes | Bill Passed - House (91 - 49) |
| April 8, 2015 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Bill Passed - House (84 - 56) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 458 | Increases Liabilities for Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 416 | Requires Health Insurers to Cover In Vitro Fertilization for Same-Sex Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 743 | Authorizes New Birth Certificates for Sex Changes | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| March 23, 2015 | MD | HB 121 | Amends Mandatory Sentences for Certain Drug Offenses | Bill Passed - House (85 - 55) |
| March 19, 2015 | MD | HB 124 | Authorizes Expungement of Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| March 16, 2015 | MD | SB 340 | Expands Voting Rights of Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| April 7, 2014 | MD | HB 295 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 170 | 2014-2015 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 37) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 172 | Authorizes Eminent Domain Against Certain Film Production Entitites | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 38) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 172 | Authorizes Eminent Domain Against Certain Film Production Entitites | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 170 | 2014-2015 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | HB 1168 | Prohibits the Construction of a Wind-Powered Generating Station | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 24) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | HB 295 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 364 | Reduces Penalties for Possession of Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (78 - 55) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | HB 1168 | Prohibits the Construction of a Wind-Powered Generating Station | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| April 2, 2014 | MD | HB 727 | Expands Prevailing Wage Requirements for Certain School Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 1, 2014 | MD | SB 336 | Establishes Certain Areas as State Wildlands | Bill Passed - House (106 - 29) |
| March 31, 2014 | MD | SB 973 | Establishes an Automated Assessment System for Pretrial Releases | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| March 27, 2014 | MD | SB 212 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - House (82 - 57) |
| March 27, 2014 | MD | SB 172 | Authorizes Eminent Domain Against Certain Film Production Entities | Bill Passed - House (96 - 42) |
| March 20, 2014 | MD | HB 739 | Amends Estate Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 17, 2014 | MD | HB 727 | Expands Prevailing Wage Requirements for Certain School Projects | Bill Passed - House (90 - 46) |
| March 14, 2014 | MD | SB 364 | Reduces Penalties for Possession of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 8) |
| March 7, 2014 | MD | HB 354 | Amends the Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 51) |
| March 7, 2014 | MD | HB 295 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 46) |
| March 4, 2014 | MD | SB 212 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| Feb. 6, 2014 | MD | SB 263 | Amends Baltimore's Needle and Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6) |
| Feb. 5, 2014 | MD | SB 75 | Prohibits the Sale of Alcoholic Products with Alcohol Content Above 95 Percent | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
| Jan. 29, 2014 | MD | SB 134 | Amends the Maryland Health Insurance Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 7) |
| Jan. 28, 2014 | MD | SB 134 | Amends the Maryland Health Insurance Plan | Bill Passed - House (94 - 42) |
| April 8, 2013 | MD | HB 224 | Amends Voting Procedures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (99 - 40) |
| April 8, 2013 | MD | HB 224 | Amends Voting Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| April 8, 2013 | MD | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - House (99 - 41) |
| April 6, 2013 | MD | HB 1107 | Amends Prince George's County School System Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 47) |
| April 5, 2013 | MD | SB 715 | Amends Driver's License Requirements for Undocumented Individuals | Bill Passed - House (82 - 55) |
| April 4, 2013 | MD | SB 281 | Amends Firearms Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
| April 4, 2013 | MD | SB 422 | Requires Public School Teachers to Pay Labor Union Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 3, 2013 | MD | SB 281 | Amends Firearms Regulations | Bill Passed - House (78 - 61) |
| April 2, 2013 | MD | SB 183 | Authorizes Tax Credits for Certain Film Production Activities | Bill Passed - House (108 - 31) |
| April 1, 2013 | MD | SB 580 | Expands Affirmative Defense to include a Caregiver Providing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (95 - 37) |
| March 29, 2013 | MD | HB 1515 | Increases the Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| March 27, 2013 | MD | SB 274 | Expands Medicaid Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 25, 2013 | MD | SB 715 | Amends Driver's License Requirements for Undocumented Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 25, 2013 | MD | HB 228 | Amends the State Health Benefits Exchange and Medicaid Program | Bill Passed - House (93 - 43) |
| March 25, 2013 | MD | HB 1101 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (108 - 28) |