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. 3, 2019 | National | HR 21 | Making appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes | Bill Passed - House (241 - 190) |
Jan. 3, 2019 | National | HR 21 | Making appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes | Bill Passed - House (241 - 190) |
Jan. 9, 2019 | National | HR 264 | Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (240 - 188) |
Jan. 9, 2019 | National | HR 264 | Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (240 - 188) |
Jan. 9, 2019 | IL | SB 3531 | Increases Salary For Certain State Cabinet Positions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 21) |
Jan. 16, 2019 | National | HR 268 | Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
Jan. 10, 2019 | DE | HB 1 | Establishes an Equal Rights Amendment in the State Constitution | Bill Passed - House (35 - 6) |
Jan. 23, 2019 | National | HR 648 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 180) |
Jan. 23, 2019 | National | H J Res 28 | Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 184) |
Jan. 14, 2019 | NY | S 1102 | Establishes Early Voting Period | Bill Passed - House (110 - 33) |
Jan. 14, 2019 | NY | S 1102 | Establishes Early Voting Period | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 13) |
Jan. 15, 2019 | NY | A 774 | Authorizes Voter Pre-Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 14) |
Jan. 14, 2019 | NY | A 774 | Authorizes Voter Pre-Registration | Bill Passed - House (107 - 39) |
Feb. 21, 2019 | CO | SB 19-042 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (34 - 29) |
Jan. 29, 2019 | CO | SB 19-042 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
Feb. 14, 2019 | National | PN 17 | Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice | (54 - 45) |
Feb. 12, 2019 | National | PN 17 | Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice | Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
April 3, 2019 | AZ | SB 1091 | Increases State Rainy-Day Fund by 10 Percent | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
Feb. 7, 2019 | AZ | SB 1091 | Increases State Rainy-Day Fund by 10 Percent | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
Feb. 7, 2019 | MO | HB 445 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (103 - 47) |
Feb. 6, 2019 | AR | SB 211 | Reduces Top Individual Income Tax Rate to 5.9 Percent | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
Feb. 21, 2019 | NJ | S 119 | Requires Certain Candidates To Disclose Income Tax Returns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
Feb. 19, 2019 | NM | HB 73 | Repeals Daylight Savings Time | Bill Passed - House (35 - 32) |
March 12, 2019 | NM | HB 55 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16) |
Feb. 1, 2019 | NM | HB 55 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
Feb. 21, 2019 | NM | HB 2 | Establishes General Appropriation Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (46 - 23) |
March 26, 2019 | National | H J Res 46 | Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 | Veto Override Failed - House (248 - 181) |
March 14, 2019 | National | H J Res 46 | Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 41) |
Feb. 26, 2019 | National | H J Res 46 | Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 182) |
Feb. 25, 2019 | IN | SB 553 | Authorizes Public Use of Shore of Lake Michigan | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
Feb. 28, 2019 | VT | S 54 | Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
Feb. 27, 2019 | KS | HB 2167 | Establishes System for Transfer of Certain Deer Hunting Permits to Nonresidents | Bill Passed - House (63 - 60) |
May 15, 2019 | MO | HB 126 | Prohibits Abortion if Roe v Wade is Overturned by the Supreme Court | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
Feb. 26, 2019 | MO | HB 126 | Prohibits Abortion if Roe v Wade is Overturned by the Supreme Court | Bill Passed - House (110 - 37) |
Sept. 18, 2019 | NH | HB 706 | Establishes an Independent Redistricting Commission | Veto Override Failed - House (227 - 145) |
Feb. 28, 2019 | NH | HB 706 | Establishes an Independent Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - House (218 - 123) |
Jan. 31, 2019 | NJ | S 1073 | Authorizes Local Government Units to Establish Storm Water Utilities | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Jan. 31, 2019 | NJ | S 1073 | Authorizes Local Government Units to Establish Storm Water Utilities | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
March 8, 2019 | National | HR 1 | For the People Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
March 5, 2019 | HI | SB 216 | Requires Ballot Recount | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0) |
March 1, 2019 | HI | HB 210 | Establishes Ranked Choice Voting | Bill Passed - House (41 - 9) |
March 4, 2019 | WA | SB 5273 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
Jan. 30, 2019 | WA | SB 5273 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
Feb. 1, 2019 | WY | SF 57 | Establishes Deadline for Public Records Requests | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 2) |
Feb. 1, 2019 | WY | SF 57 | Establishes Deadline for Public Records Requests | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 2) |
March 14, 2019 | National | H Con Res 24 | Expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress. | Bill Passed - House (420 - 0) |
March 13, 2019 | WA | SB 5822 | Establishes a Work Group to Study Universal Health Care | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
March 12, 2019 | IA | SF 237 | Amends Judicial Commission Selection | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
March 12, 2019 | NC | SB 214 | Exempts Upcoming 2019 Election from Photo ID Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
April 16, 2019 | OK | SB 1001 | Prohibits Cities from Banning Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
March 6, 2019 | OK | SB 1001 | Prohibits Cities from Banning Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
April 18, 2019 | TN | HB 658 | Repeals City Police Oversight Boards Subpoena Power | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6) |
April 17, 2019 | TN | HB 658 | Repeals City Police Oversight Boards Subpoena Power | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 16) |
March 5, 2019 | HI | SB 557 | Establishes Hawaii as a Sanctuary State | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
March 29, 2019 | ND | HB 1381 | Prohibits Government Funded Gun Buyback Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12) |
Feb. 19, 2019 | ND | HB 1381 | Prohibits Government Funded Gun Buyback Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 26) |
March 11, 2019 | MS | SB 2770 | Increases Public School Teacher Salaries | Bill Passed - House (112 - 2) |
March 6, 2019 | OK | SB 457 | Authorizes the Governor to Remove Heads of Certain State Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
March 6, 2019 | OK | SB 457 | Authorizes the Governor to Remove Heads of Certain State Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
March 6, 2019 | OK | SB 456 | Authorizes the Governor to Hire and set the Salary for the Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
March 6, 2019 | OK | SB 456 | Authorizes the Governor to Hire and set the Salary for the Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
March 12, 2019 | WA | SB 5078 | Requires Presidential and VP Candidates Release 5 Years of Tax Returns | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
March 14, 2019 | DE | SB 22 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
March 7, 2019 | DE | SB 22 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
March 29, 2019 | ID | S 1159 | Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements | Bill Passed - House (40 - 30) |
March 22, 2019 | ID | S 1159 | Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
March 7, 2019 | MN | HF 13 | Authorizes a 2020 Ballot Measure to Include an Equal Rights Amendment to the State's Constitution | Bill Passed - House (72 - 55) |
April 4, 2019 | KS | SB 16 | Appropriates Additional $90 Million for Public Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 47) |
April 11, 2019 | DE | HB 38 | Amends Early Voting Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
March 19, 2019 | DE | HB 38 | Amends Early Voting Regulations | Bill Passed - House (34 - 6) |
April 3, 2019 | ID | H 296 | Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
March 29, 2019 | ID | H 296 | Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
March 25, 2019 | TN | SB 431 | Prohibits Local Governments from Regulating, Restricting, or Taxing Auxiliary Containers | Bill Passed - House (69 - 21) |
June 24, 2019 | NC | HB 370 | Requires Sheriffs to Cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
April 3, 2019 | NC | HB 370 | Requires Sheriffs to Cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (63 - 51) |
April 11, 2019 | National | PN 503 | Nomination of David Bernhardt as the Secretary of the Interior | (56 - 41) |
April 11, 2019 | TX | SB 2487 | Prohibits Local Governments from Imposing Regulations on Private Businesses for Employee Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
March 18, 2019 | AZ | SB 1072 | Requires Identification for Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (31 - 27) |
Feb. 14, 2019 | AZ | SB 1072 | Requires Identification for Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
April 11, 2019 | TX | SB 2485 | Prohibits Local Governments from Imposing Regulations on Private Businesses Regarding Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
April 10, 2019 | AR | SB 411 | Prohibits Local Government from Adopting "Sanctuary Policies" | Bill Passed - House (71 - 24) |
April 5, 2019 | AR | SB 411 | Prohibits Local Government from Adopting "Sanctuary Policies" | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
June 5, 2019 | OR | SB 870 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
June 5, 2019 | OR | SB 870 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
April 9, 2019 | OR | SB 870 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
April 9, 2019 | OR | SB 870 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
Oct. 29, 2019 | IL | SB 1970 | Authorizes Student Absences for Voting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 40) |
April 10, 2019 | IL | SB 1970 | Authorizes Student Absences for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
April 27, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1239 | Appropriates $12 Million for Census Outreach | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
April 11, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1239 | Appropriates $12 Million for Census Outreach | Bill Passed - House (41 - 23) |
April 11, 2019 | IL | SB 145 | Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
April 25, 2019 | TN | HB 1079 | Increases Penalties for Voter Registration Errors | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
April 15, 2019 | TN | HB 1079 | Increases Penalties for Voter Registration Errors | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
April 17, 2019 | ND | HB 1521 | Amends State Ethic Laws for Campaign Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8) |
May 21, 2019 | NV | AB 186 | Authorizes Nevada to Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 8) |
April 16, 2019 | NV | AB 186 | Authorizes Nevada to Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - House (23 - 17) |
April 24, 2019 | FL | HB 527 | Prohibits Cities from Enacting "Sanctuary" Policies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
April 24, 2019 | FL | HB 7089 | Requires Felons to Pay Court Fees Prior to Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 611 | Increases Access to Absentee Voting | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 11) |
March 7, 2019 | NH | HB 611 | Increases Access to Absentee Voting | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (198 - 163) |