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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 5013 | Repeals Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Failed - House (47 - 48) |
| Sept. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 5099 | Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| Sept. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 5098 | Increases Penalty for Filing a False Police Report | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Sept. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 5104 | Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Sept. 4, 2020 | VA | HB 5069 | Prohibits Use of Chokeholds by Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Aug. 28, 2020 | VA | HB 5029 | Establishes a Felony Charge for Officers that Fail to Intervene When Witnessing Unlawful Deadly Force | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| Aug. 28, 2020 | VA | SB 5120 | Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 28, 2020 | VA | SB 5029 | Prohibits Search and Seizure Based Solely on the Odor of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 26, 2020 | VA | SB 5032 | Repeals the 6-Month Mandatory Minimum Requirement for Assaulting Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 33 | Authorizes Inmates to Apply for Parole | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 972 | Establishes Provisions Decriminalizing Marijuana | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 384 | Amends Sports Betting Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 29) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 34 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Non-United States Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 41) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 971 | Establishes the COVID-19 Relief Fund and Amends Gambling Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (76 - 16) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 395 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 588 | Authorizes Counties to Levy Certain Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 971 | Establishes the COVID-19 Relief Fund and Amends Gambling Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 384 | Amends Sports Betting Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 34 | Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Non-United States Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 972 | Establishes Provisions Decriminalizing Marijuana | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 35) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 588 | Authorizes Counties to Levy Certain Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 35) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 479 | Prohibits Individuals Subject to a Protective Order From Possessing Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 42) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 207 | Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 43) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 1255 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 437 | Increases Penalty for Motor Accidents Involving a Cyclist or Vulnerable Road User | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 36) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 1442 | Authorizes the Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 883 | Establishes the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 44) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 1442 | Authorizes the Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 44) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 207 | Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 479 | Prohibits Individuals Subject to a Protective Order From Possessing Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | SB 883 | Establishes the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| March 8, 2020 | VA | SB 710 | Expands Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
| March 8, 2020 | VA | SB 183 | Authorizes Localities to Remove, Relocate, or Alter Monuments | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| March 8, 2020 | VA | HB 1250 | Establishes the "Community Policing Act" | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 8, 2020 | VA | SB 710 | Expands Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 31) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 812 | Prohibits Unlicensed Individuals to Deal Firearms from Purchasing More Than One Gun in a 30-Day Period | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 201 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 235 | Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1150 | Eliminates Requirement that Jails and Prisons Ascertain Citizenship Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1250 | Establishes the "Community Policing Act" | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | SB 183 | Authorizes Localities to Remove, Relocate, or Alter Monuments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 16) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 395 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 19 | Repeals Photo Identification Requirement for Voting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 19 | Repeals Photo Identification Requirement for Voting | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 201 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | SB 70 | Requires Background Check for Firearm Transfers | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 46) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 33 | Authorizes Inmates to Apply for Parole | Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 45) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 1150 | Eliminates Requirement that Jails and Prisons Ascertain Citizenship Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 812 | Prohibits Unlicensed Individuals to Deal Firearms from Purchasing More Than One Gun in a 30-Day Period | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 48) |
| March 5, 2020 | VA | HB 235 | Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 46) |