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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2022 | MD | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use and Possession of Cannabis | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 39) |
| March 22, 2022 | MD | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use and Possession of Cannabis | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 16, 2022 | MD | SB 387 | Prohibits the Sale of Ghost Guns | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| April 12, 2021 | MD | SB 525 | Requires the Baltimore City Centralized Booking Facility Provide a Secure Designated Ballot Drop Box | Bill Passed - House (95 - 43) |
| April 7, 2021 | MD | SB 600 | Requires Independent Investigation of Police Use of Force Incidents that Result in Death | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| April 7, 2021 | MD | SB 71 | Requires Police to Wear Body Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| April 6, 2021 | MD | SB 178 | Authorizes Certain Officer Misconduct Records to be Available to the Public | Bill Passed - House (88 - 46) |
| April 5, 2021 | MD | SB 600 | Requires Independent Investigation of Police Use of Force Incidents that Result in Death | Bill Passed - House (98 - 39) |
| April 2, 2021 | MD | SB 71 | Requires Police to Wear Body Cameras | Bill Passed - House (92 - 38) |
| April 1, 2021 | MD | HB 670 | Repeals the Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights and Replaces it With a Multistep System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 22, 2021 | MD | HB 222 | Expands Voting Access for Incarcerated Individuals | Bill Passed - House (95 - 39) |
| March 12, 2021 | MD | SB 525 | Requires the Baltimore City Centralized Booking Facility Provide a Secure Designated Ballot Drop Box | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| March 11, 2021 | MD | HB 670 | Repeals the Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights and Replaces it With a Multistep System | Bill Passed - House (96 - 40) |
| March 11, 2021 | MD | SB 10 | Prohibits Individuals from Possessing a Firearm Within 100 Feet of a Polling Site | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| March 3, 2021 | MD | SB 178 | Authorizes Certain Officer Misconduct Records to be Available to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 3, 2021 | MD | SB 626 | Establishes a Statewide Use of Force Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
| March 18, 2020 | MD | HB 1663 | Establishes the "COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Protection Act of 2020" | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (131 - 3) |
| March 18, 2020 | MD | HB 1336 | Authorizes Expungement of Some Misdemeanor Criminal Convictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 31) |
| March 18, 2020 | MD | SB 1006 | Reduces the Amount of Time Child Support May be Suspended While Parent is Incarcerated | Bill Passed - House (102 - 32) |
| March 18, 2020 | MD | SB 708 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Maryland Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund | Bill Passed - House (104 - 28) |
| March 16, 2020 | MD | HB 280 | Prohibits Suspension of Driver's License for Unpaid Fines | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0) |
| March 16, 2020 | MD | HB 1444 | Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0) |
| March 15, 2020 | MD | SB 684 | Establishes a Prerelease Unit for Women | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| March 11, 2020 | MD | HB 550 | Expands Marijuana Decriminalization Policies | Bill Passed - House (93 - 44) |
| March 11, 2020 | MD | HB 231 | Establishes the "Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act" | Bill Passed - House (95 - 42) |
| March 10, 2020 | MD | SB 35 | Amends Various Gun Laws Including Making Theft of a Firearm a Felony | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 4) |
| March 9, 2020 | MD | HB 4 | Requires Background Checks for Private Sales of Long Guns | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | MD | SB 147 | Prohibits the Purchase, Distribution, or Sale of Kratom | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | MD | HB 4 | Requires Background Checks for Private Sales of Long Guns | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| April 8, 2019 | MD | SB 737 | Amends Long Gun License Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
| March 31, 2019 | MD | HB 994 | Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 14) |
| March 31, 2019 | MD | HB 994 | Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 40) |
| March 28, 2019 | MD | SB 793 | Establishes a University Police Department at Johns Hopkins University | Bill Passed - House (94 - 42) |
| March 18, 2019 | MD | HB 786 | Amends Hunting Rifle and Shotgun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (90 - 49) |
| April 5, 2018 | MD | HB 819 | Amends Handgun Permit Rules and Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (98 - 31) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | HB 1302 | Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Order | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | SB 101 | Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | SB 101 | Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| April 3, 2018 | MD | HB 447 | Establishes Pretrial Services Program Grant Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11) |
| March 22, 2018 | MD | HB 532 | Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 15, 2018 | MD | HB 888 | Prohibits Certain Firearms Accessories | Bill Passed - House (128 - 7) |
| March 12, 2018 | MD | SB 122 | Amends Criminal Law | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 8) |
| March 12, 2018 | MD | SB 122 | Amends Criminal Law | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 8) |
| March 8, 2018 | MD | HB 532 | Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting | Bill Passed - House (91 - 46) |
| March 21, 2016 | MD | HB 1016 | Amends Certain Law Enforcement Procedures | Bill Passed - House (92 - 44) |
| March 12, 2016 | MD | HB 1002 | Prohibits Firearms on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (81 - 54) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 528 | Amends Asset Forfeiture Regulations | Veto Override Passed - House (89 - 52) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 517 | Authorizes Marijuana Paraphernalia | Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 55) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 528 | Amends Asset Forfeiture Regulations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 517 | Authorizes Marijuana Paraphernalia | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |