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 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 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 | 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 626 | Establishes a Statewide Use of Force Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
| March 3, 2021 | MD | SB 178 | Authorizes Certain Officer Misconduct Records to be Available to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 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 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 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) |
| 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) |
| March 16, 2015 | MD | SB 340 | Expands Voting Rights of Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 16, 2015 | MD | SB 340 | Expands Voting Rights of Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 31, 2014 | MD | SB 973 | Establishes an Automated Assessment System for Pretrial Releases | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| Feb. 6, 2014 | MD | SB 263 | Amends Baltimore's Needle and Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6) |