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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 30, 2018 | AL | HB 26 | Prohibits Smoking Tobacco in Cars where a Minor is Present | Bill Passed - House (41 - 30) |
Feb. 1, 2018 | MD | SB 120 | Authorizes Mutual-Consent Divorce for Parents without Year Separation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
Feb. 1, 2018 | MD | SB 120 | Authorizes Mutual-Consent Divorce for Parents without Year Separation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
Feb. 5, 2018 | VA | SB 168 | Reduces Penalties for Minors Charged with Sexting Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5) |
March 22, 2018 | NH | HB 628 | Requires Paid Family and Medical Leave | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (171 - 162) |
Feb. 8, 2018 | NH | HB 628 | Requires Paid Family and Medical Leave | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (186 - 164) |
Feb. 22, 2018 | OR | HB 4145 | Prohibits Convicted Stalkers from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
Feb. 15, 2018 | OR | HB 4145 | Prohibits Convicted Stalkers from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
March 21, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
Feb. 27, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 25) |
March 28, 2018 | AZ | SB 1393 | Authorizes Parents to Use Frozen Embryos after Divorce | Bill Passed - House (33 - 25) |
Feb. 22, 2018 | AZ | SB 1393 | Authorizes Parents to Use Frozen Embryos after Divorce | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
Feb. 23, 2018 | GA | SB 375 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19) |
Feb. 27, 2018 | WA | SB 6037 | Authorizes Financial Compensation of Surrogates | Bill Passed - House (50 - 47) |
May 3, 2018 | OK | SB 1140 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - House (57 - 24) |
May 3, 2018 | OK | SB 1140 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - House (57 - 24) |
March 13, 2018 | OK | SB 1140 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
March 13, 2018 | OK | SB 1140 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
April 4, 2018 | TN | HB 2331 | Requires Schools to Report on Use of Corporal Punishment | Bill Passed - House (80 - 1) |
April 12, 2018 | TN | HB 849 | Authorizes GPS Monitoring for Domestic Abuse Defendants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 5) |
April 2, 2018 | TN | SB 1796 | Establishes Process to Remove Domestic Abusers from Cell Phone Plans | Bill Passed - House (94 - 0) |
April 19, 2018 | DE | HB 337 | Prohibits Underage Marriage | Bill Passed - House (23 - 11) |
April 19, 2018 | DE | HB 337 | Prohibits Underage Marriage | Bill Passed - House (23 - 11) |
April 19, 2018 | VT | S 103 | Requires Regulations of Toxic Substances in Products | Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
Feb. 7, 2018 | UT | SB 65 | Amends Definition of Child Neglect | Bill Passed - House (66 - 0) |
Jan. 26, 2018 | UT | SB 65 | Amends Definition of Child Neglect | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 0) |
April 25, 2018 | RI | S 2353 | Requires Educators to Report Sexual Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 0) |
April 9, 2018 | CA | AB 1976 | Amends Lactation Accommodation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (57 - 1) |
April 3, 2018 | RI | S 2299 | Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1) |
May 3, 2018 | KS | SB 284 | Authorizes Child Placement Agencies to Deny Service Based on Religion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
May 3, 2018 | KS | SB 284 | Authorizes Child Placement Agencies to Deny Service Based on Religion | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 58) |
May 7, 2018 | CA | AB 2741 | Limits Amount of Opioids that can be Prescribed to Minors | Bill Passed - House (58 - 0) |
May 9, 2018 | CT | HB 5170 | Authorizes Schools to Search Student Cell Phones | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
Feb. 19, 2018 | MO | HB 1630 | Increases Minimum Age for Marriage to 16 | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
April 11, 2018 | OH | SB 82 | Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
June 21, 2018 | NJ | S 2711 | Requires Child Abuse Training for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
June 27, 2018 | OH | HB 511 | Increases Minimum Age for Marriage | Bill Passed - House (90 - 2) |
June 27, 2018 | OH | HB 511 | Increases Minimum Age for Marriage | Bill Passed - House (90 - 2) |
June 7, 2018 | NJ | S 427 | Increases Minimum Age for Marriage to 18 | Bill Passed - House (59 - 0) |
April 12, 2018 | NJ | S 427 | Increases Minimum Age for Marriage to 18 | (30 - 5) |
June 20, 2018 | OH | HB 383 | Amends Various Child Care Safety Regulations | Bill Passed - House (91 - 2) |
May 24, 2018 | MI | SB 874 | Increases Penalties for Failing to Report Child Abuse or Neglect | Bill Passed - House (107 - 2) |
May 24, 2018 | MI | SB 880 | Increases Penalty for Not Reporting Child Abuse | Bill Passed - House (108 - 1) |
June 27, 2018 | OH | HB 36 | Exempts Licensed Ministers From Preforming Marriage Ceremonies Against Religious Beliefs | Bill Passed - House (61 - 30) |
June 27, 2018 | OH | HB 318 | Requires New Training Guidelines for School Resource Officers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 20) |
April 11, 2018 | OH | HB 318 | Requires New Training Guidelines for School Resource Officers | Bill Passed - House (92 - 2) |
June 27, 2018 | OH | HB 540 | Amends Teacher Evaluation Process | Bill Passed - House (91 - 2) |
Aug. 21, 2018 | CA | SB 1192 | Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
Aug. 16, 2018 | CA | SB 1192 | Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
June 25, 2018 | NJ | A 4110 | Requires Seat Belts on School Buses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
June 7, 2018 | OH | HB 366 | Updates Child Support Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 0) |
June 7, 2018 | OH | HB 366 | Updates Child Support Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 0) |
April 12, 2018 | MI | HB 4891 | Authorizes Parents to Monitor Child's Communications | Bill Passed - House (105 - 3) |
Oct. 17, 2018 | PA | SB 554 | Establishes Protections for Juvenile Human Trafficking Victims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Aug. 30, 2018 | ME | LD 1920 | Amends Expungement Requirements for Records under Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
May 30, 2018 | IL | SB 3489 | Amends the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
May 24, 2018 | IL | HB 5599 | Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
April 26, 2018 | IL | HB 5599 | Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code | Bill Passed - House (75 - 31) |
May 24, 2018 | IL | HB 4965 | Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 15) |
March 26, 2018 | NJ | S 482 | Authorizes Couples to Enter Into Legally Binding Agreements with Surrogate Mothers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
March 12, 2018 | ID | H 448 | Amends Indecent Exposure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 0) |
Feb. 14, 2018 | SD | HB 1106 | Authorizes Hunting Preference Points to be Granted to Individuals age 10 Years or Older | Bill Passed - House (54 - 10) |
March 6, 2018 | IN | HB 1203 | Amends Fertility Clinic Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
April 17, 2018 | OK | HB 2692 | Amends Child Care Licensing | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |