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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 16, 2019 | NJ | A 5823 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
Nov. 5, 2019 | WI | SB 49 | Prohibits Prostitution Charges Against Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | SB 310 | Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 1215 | Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 963 | Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
Aug. 19, 2019 | CA | AB 467 | Requires Competitions Held on Public Lands to Offer Equal Prize Compensation Regardless of Gender | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0) |
July 8, 2019 | CA | AB 392 | Increases Public Oversight and Police Accountability when Deadly Use of Force is Used | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3) |
July 1, 2019 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
June 19, 2019 | NY | S 3909 | Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0) |
June 17, 2019 | NY | S 6209 | Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16) |
June 14, 2019 | NY | S 5864 | Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 777 | Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1529 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
June 5, 2019 | ME | LD 795 | Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 5, 2019 | ME | LD 795 | Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 4, 2019 | ME | LD 665 | Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
June 3, 2019 | OR | HB 3216 | Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1) |
May 30, 2019 | AL | HB 225 | Prohibits Pay Discrimination Based on Sex and Race | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 0) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 608 | Expands Definition of Gender Discrimination | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
May 30, 2019 | IL | HB 3394 | Requires Women and African Americans on Corporate Boards | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 105 | Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
May 29, 2019 | IL | HB 3534 | Establishes a Non-Binary Gender Option on IDs | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
May 23, 2019 | IL | HB 246 | Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
May 23, 2019 | CA | SB 329 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
May 22, 2019 | IL | HB 834 | Requires Equal Pay | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
May 22, 2019 | NV | AB 431 | Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
May 21, 2019 | ME | LD 1025 | Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
May 21, 2019 | IL | HB 1613 | Requires Police Keep Racial Profiling Records | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
May 15, 2019 | MO | HB 126 | Prohibits Abortion if Roe v Wade is Overturned by the Supreme Court | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
May 15, 2019 | NV | SB 312 | Requires Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0) |
May 2, 2019 | FL | SB 7066 | Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
May 2, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1289 | Increases State Consumer Protection Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
April 30, 2019 | CO | SB 19-085 | Establishes the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
April 29, 2019 | FL | HB 741 | Prohibits "Anti-Semitic Speech" at Public Schools, Colleges, and Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
April 29, 2019 | FL | HB 741 | Prohibits "Anti-Semitic Speech" at Public Schools, Colleges, and Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
April 26, 2019 | ND | SB 2148 | Establishes the Creation of an Ethics Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 5) |
April 25, 2019 | TN | HB 1079 | Increases Penalties for Voter Registration Errors | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
April 25, 2019 | AL | SB 220 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create a State Lottery | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
April 24, 2019 | CO | SB 19-235 | Expands Automatic Voter Registration System | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
April 18, 2019 | OR | SB 250 | Prohibits Health Benefit Plans from Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
April 10, 2019 | NY | A 6188 | Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17) |
April 10, 2019 | NC | SB 250 | Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
April 10, 2019 | IL | SB 2090 | Expands Access to Voting in Jails | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
April 8, 2019 | AR | HJR 1008 | Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
April 3, 2019 | TX | SB 17 | Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
March 29, 2019 | GA | HB 345 | Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1) |
March 12, 2019 | UT | HB 57 | Requires Search Warrants for Electronic Information | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 0) |
March 11, 2019 | IA | SF 274 | Amends Free Speech Regulations on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
March 7, 2019 | SD | SB 189 | Establishes "Riot Boosting" as a Civil Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
March 6, 2019 | MS | HB 761 | Prohibits Contracts with Businesses That Boycott Israel | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
Feb. 26, 2019 | WA | SB 5165 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
Feb. 21, 2019 | NJ | S 758 | Requires Incarcerated Individuals Count in Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
Jan. 23, 2019 | DE | HB 2 | Establishes Protections for Federal Workers During a Shutdown | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |
Jan. 15, 2019 | NY | A 576 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 4) |
Jan. 15, 2019 | NY | S 1047 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 19) |