Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 2, 2020 OH SB 40 Prohibits State Universities from Enacting Limitations on Campus Free Speech Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
Dec. 2, 2020 MI HB 5679 Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act Bill Passed - House (80 - 24)
Oct. 29, 2020 NJ A 4545 Requires Instruction on Racial Discrimination, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Bill Passed - House (56 - 7)
Oct. 16, 2020 VA SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41)
Oct. 2, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
Oct. 2, 2020 VA SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
Oct. 2, 2020 National H Res 1153 Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent Bill Passed - House (232 - 157)
Sept. 30, 2020 National HR 6270 Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (253 - 163)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT S 119 Amends Standards for Police Use of Force Policies Bill Passed - House (106 - 37)
Sept. 17, 2020 National HR 2694 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (329 - 73)
Sept. 16, 2020 National HR 2574 Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
Sept. 15, 2020 National HR 2639 Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (248 - 167)
Sept. 15, 2020 PA HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
Sept. 8, 2020 VA HB 5013 Repeals Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (49 - 45)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA HB 5013 Repeals Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers Bill Failed - House (47 - 48)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 16)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 331 Establishes One Credit of Ethnic and Racial Studies as a High School Graduation Requirement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 12)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 8)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Bill Passed - House (49 - 7)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Bill Passed - House (52 - 18)
Aug. 27, 2020 NJ A 4320 Expands Ballot Receipt and Election Deadlines Bill Passed - House (51 - 27)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 4170 Limits the Use of Data Collected for Purposes of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Bill Passed - House (55 - 18)
July 27, 2020 National S 2163 Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act Bill Passed - House (368 - 1)
July 22, 2020 National HR 7573 To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to replace the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the United States Capitol with a bust of Thurgood Marshall to be obtained by the Joint Committee on the Library and to remove certain statues from areas of the United States Capitol which are accessible to the public, to remove all statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in the United States Capitol, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (305 - 113)
July 21, 2020 NY A 5630 Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 47)
July 21, 2020 NY A 5991 Amends Civil Rights Law in Relation to "Frivolous" Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (116 - 26)
July 20, 2020 NY A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - House (97 - 44)
July 20, 2020 MN HR 1 Classifies Racism as a Public Health Crisis Bill Passed - House (82 - 40)
July 20, 2020 MN HF 1 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Law Enforcement Bill Passed - House (102 - 29)
July 1, 2020 NH HB 1645 Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74)
June 30, 2020 MA H 4818 Establishes a Special Commission to Reduce Racial Inequalities in Maternal Health Bill Passed - House (159 - 0)
June 24, 2020 MI HB 5672 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Have Implants Bill Passed - House (104 - 2)
June 24, 2020 PA HB 1841 Requires Background Checks for Police Officers Bill Passed - House (201 - 0)
June 23, 2020 GA HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Concurrence Vote Passed - House (127 - 38)
June 22, 2020 NM SB 8 Requires Law Enforcement to Use Body-Worn Cameras Bill Passed - House (44 - 26)
June 19, 2020 NM HB 5 Establishes the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission Bill Passed - House (53 - 17)
June 19, 2020 VT HR 21 Alleges Donald Trump's Tweets are "Racist" and Recognizes Juneteenth Bill Passed - House (128 - 17)
June 18, 2020 NJ A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
June 12, 2020 CO SB 20-217 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
June 11, 2020 CA AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - House (61 - 12)
June 10, 2020 NY S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - House (121 - 23)
June 10, 2020 CA ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
June 9, 2020 NY S 8493 Establishes the "New York State Police Body-Worn Cameras Program" Bill Passed - House (142 - 2)
June 9, 2020 NY S 6601 Requires Police Officers to Provide Medical and Mental Health Attention Bill Passed - House (109 - 35)
June 8, 2020 NY A 4615 Prohibits Police Officers from Racial and Ethnic Profiling Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
June 8, 2020 NY A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
June 8, 2020 NY A 10609 Requires Courts to Compile and Publish Data on Misdemeanors and Violations and Law Enforcement Departments on Arrest-Related Deaths Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
June 3, 2020 IA SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
May 27, 2020 National S 3744 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (413 - 1)
April 14, 2020 KY SB 15 Establishes Crime Victims' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (74 - 15)
March 12, 2020 MS HB 1200 Prohibits "Free Speech Zones" on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (68 - 52)
March 12, 2020 MS HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - House (79 - 33)
March 11, 2020 MD HB 231 Establishes the "Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act" Bill Passed - House (95 - 42)
March 10, 2020 OK HB 2587 Prohibits Denying Healthcare or Adjusting Coverage or Cost Based on Age or Quality of Life Bill Passed - House (69 - 21)
March 9, 2020 WA HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 39)
March 9, 2020 CO HB 20-1307 Prohibits the "Gay Panic" Murder Defense Bill Passed - House (45 - 19)
March 7, 2020 VA HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35)
March 7, 2020 WV HB 4176 Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11)
March 5, 2020 CO SB 20-83 Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds Bill Passed - House (40 - 24)
March 4, 2020 VA HB 623 Repeals the State Statutory Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Amends State Gender-Neutral Terms Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43)
March 4, 2020 WA SB 6205 Prohibits Harassment, Abuse, and Discrimination Towards Long-Term Care Workers Bill Passed - House (74 - 23)
March 3, 2020 WA SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
Feb. 26, 2020 National HR 35 Emmett Till Antilynching Act Bill Passed - House (410 - 4)
Feb. 24, 2020 VA SB 868 Amends Anti-Discrimination Law to Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
Feb. 24, 2020 VA SB 601 Establishes Election Day to Replace Lee-Jackson Day Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
Feb. 21, 2020 VA SB 50 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
Feb. 19, 2020 NH HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (206 - 144)
Feb. 13, 2020 National H J Res 79 Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment Bill Passed - House (232 - 183)
Feb. 12, 2020 WA HB 2602 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - House (87 - 10)
Feb. 11, 2020 CO HB 20-1048 Establishes the CROWN Act Bill Passed - House (42 - 21)
Feb. 11, 2020 WV HB 4069 Prohibits Religious Discrimination in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
Feb. 7, 2020 VA HB 837 Establishes the "Dress Code Equity Act" Bill Passed - House (81 - 17)
Feb. 6, 2020 VA HB 1663 Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination Bill Passed - House (59 - 35)
Feb. 6, 2020 VA HB 827 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Pregnancy Bill Passed - House (66 - 31)
Feb. 3, 2020 VA HB 386 Prohibits State Funding for Conversion Therapy on Minors Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
Jan. 31, 2020 KY HB 168 Requires Legislative Ethics Commission to Review Sexual Harassment Complaints Bill Passed - House (85 - 0)
Jan. 27, 2020 CA AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Bill Passed - House (73 - 0)
Jan. 15, 2020 National HR 1230 Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act Bill Passed - House (261 - 155)
Jan. 15, 2020 VA HJ 1 Establishes an Amendment to the US Constitution Relating to Equal Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 41)
Jan. 13, 2020 NJ S 758 Requires Incarcerated Individuals Count in Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (54 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/02 SB 40 Prohibits State Universities from Enacting Limitations on Campus Free Speech Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
12/02 HB 5679 Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act Bill Passed - House (80 - 24)
10/29 A 4545 Requires Instruction on Racial Discrimination, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Bill Passed - House (56 - 7)
10/16 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
10/14 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41)
10/02 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
10/02 SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
10/02 H Res 1153 Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent Bill Passed - House (232 - 157)
9/30 HR 6270 Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (253 - 163)
9/22 S 119 Amends Standards for Police Use of Force Policies Bill Passed - House (106 - 37)
9/17 HR 2694 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (329 - 73)
9/16 HR 2574 Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
9/15 HR 2639 Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (248 - 167)
9/15 HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
9/08 HB 5013 Repeals Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (49 - 45)
9/04 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
9/04 HB 5013 Repeals Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers Bill Failed - House (47 - 48)
8/31 AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 16)
8/31 AB 331 Establishes One Credit of Ethnic and Racial Studies as a High School Graduation Requirement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 12)
8/30 AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 8)
8/30 SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Bill Passed - House (49 - 7)
8/30 SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Bill Passed - House (52 - 18)
8/27 A 4320 Expands Ballot Receipt and Election Deadlines Bill Passed - House (51 - 27)
7/30 A 4170 Limits the Use of Data Collected for Purposes of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Bill Passed - House (55 - 18)
7/27 S 2163 Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act Bill Passed - House (368 - 1)
7/22 HR 7573 To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to replace the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the United States Capitol with a bust of Thurgood Marshall to be obtained by the Joint Committee on the Library and to remove certain statues from areas of the United States Capitol which are accessible to the public, to remove all statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in the United States Capitol, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (305 - 113)
7/21 A 5630 Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 47)
7/21 A 5991 Amends Civil Rights Law in Relation to "Frivolous" Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (116 - 26)
7/20 A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - House (97 - 44)
7/20 HR 1 Classifies Racism as a Public Health Crisis Bill Passed - House (82 - 40)
7/20 HF 1 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Law Enforcement Bill Passed - House (102 - 29)
7/01 HB 1645 Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74)
6/30 H 4818 Establishes a Special Commission to Reduce Racial Inequalities in Maternal Health Bill Passed - House (159 - 0)
6/24 HB 5672 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Have Implants Bill Passed - House (104 - 2)
6/24 HB 1841 Requires Background Checks for Police Officers Bill Passed - House (201 - 0)
6/23 HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Concurrence Vote Passed - House (127 - 38)
6/22 SB 8 Requires Law Enforcement to Use Body-Worn Cameras Bill Passed - House (44 - 26)
6/19 HB 5 Establishes the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission Bill Passed - House (53 - 17)
6/19 HR 21 Alleges Donald Trump's Tweets are "Racist" and Recognizes Juneteenth Bill Passed - House (128 - 17)
6/18 A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
6/12 SB 20-217 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
6/11 AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - House (61 - 12)
6/10 S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - House (121 - 23)
6/10 ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
6/09 S 8493 Establishes the "New York State Police Body-Worn Cameras Program" Bill Passed - House (142 - 2)
6/09 S 6601 Requires Police Officers to Provide Medical and Mental Health Attention Bill Passed - House (109 - 35)
6/08 A 4615 Prohibits Police Officers from Racial and Ethnic Profiling Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
6/08 A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
6/08 A 10609 Requires Courts to Compile and Publish Data on Misdemeanors and Violations and Law Enforcement Departments on Arrest-Related Deaths Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
6/03 SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
5/27 S 3744 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (413 - 1)
4/14 SB 15 Establishes Crime Victims' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (74 - 15)
3/12 HB 1200 Prohibits "Free Speech Zones" on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (68 - 52)
3/12 HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - House (79 - 33)
3/11 HB 231 Establishes the "Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act" Bill Passed - House (95 - 42)
3/10 HB 2587 Prohibits Denying Healthcare or Adjusting Coverage or Cost Based on Age or Quality of Life Bill Passed - House (69 - 21)
3/09 HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 39)
3/09 HB 20-1307 Prohibits the "Gay Panic" Murder Defense Bill Passed - House (45 - 19)
3/07 HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35)
3/07 HB 4176 Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11)
3/05 SB 20-83 Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds Bill Passed - House (40 - 24)
3/04 HB 623 Repeals the State Statutory Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Amends State Gender-Neutral Terms Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43)
3/04 SB 6205 Prohibits Harassment, Abuse, and Discrimination Towards Long-Term Care Workers Bill Passed - House (74 - 23)
3/03 SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
2/26 HR 35 Emmett Till Antilynching Act Bill Passed - House (410 - 4)
2/24 SB 868 Amends Anti-Discrimination Law to Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
2/24 SB 601 Establishes Election Day to Replace Lee-Jackson Day Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
2/21 SB 50 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
2/19 HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (206 - 144)
2/13 H J Res 79 Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment Bill Passed - House (232 - 183)
2/12 HB 2602 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - House (87 - 10)
2/11 HB 20-1048 Establishes the CROWN Act Bill Passed - House (42 - 21)
2/11 HB 4069 Prohibits Religious Discrimination in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
2/07 HB 837 Establishes the "Dress Code Equity Act" Bill Passed - House (81 - 17)
2/06 HB 1663 Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination Bill Passed - House (59 - 35)
2/06 HB 827 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Pregnancy Bill Passed - House (66 - 31)
2/03 HB 386 Prohibits State Funding for Conversion Therapy on Minors Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
1/31 HB 168 Requires Legislative Ethics Commission to Review Sexual Harassment Complaints Bill Passed - House (85 - 0)
1/27 AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Bill Passed - House (73 - 0)
1/15 HR 1230 Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act Bill Passed - House (261 - 155)
1/15 HJ 1 Establishes an Amendment to the US Constitution Relating to Equal Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 41)
1/13 S 758 Requires Incarcerated Individuals Count in Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (54 - 22)

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