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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 8, 2020 NY A 10608 Requires Law Enforcement Officers to Report Weapon Discharges to their Superior Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
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 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)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1254 Establishes Parole for Nonviolent Offenders Age 65 and Older Bill Passed - House (60 - 12)
June 8, 2020 NY A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
June 8, 2020 NY A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
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 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
Nov. 16, 2020 NJ A 1649 Prohibits Public Disclosure of Personal Information of Judicial Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
Nov. 16, 2020 NJ A 1897 Reduces Criminal Penalty for Marijuana Possession Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
June 18, 2020 NJ A 1897 Reduces Criminal Penalty for Marijuana Possession Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1906 Establishes Crime of False 911 Calls with Purpose to Intimidate or Harass Based on Race Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 1906 Establishes Crime of False 911 Calls with Purpose to Intimidate or Harass Based on Race Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 22, 2020 NY A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
July 20, 2020 NY A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - House (97 - 44)
Aug. 27, 2020 NJ A 2370 Establishes Compassionate Release System for Inmates with Terminal Illnesses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
June 18, 2020 NJ A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
June 18, 2020 NJ A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
July 30, 2020 NJ A 3641 Requires Cultural Diversity and Implicit Bias Training for Law Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
March 16, 2020 NJ A 3859 Prohibits Evictions and Foreclosures During Emergency Circumstances Bill Passed - House (60 - 0)
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 16, 2020 NJ A 4175 Establishes the "New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act" Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/08 A 10608 Requires Law Enforcement Officers to Report Weapon Discharges to their Superior Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
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)
6/08 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)
7/30 A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/30 A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/30 A 1076 Requires Attorney General to Collect and Report Prosecutorial and Criminal Justice Data Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/30 A 1254 Establishes Parole for Nonviolent Offenders Age 65 and Older Bill Passed - House (60 - 12)
6/08 A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
6/08 A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
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 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
11/16 A 1649 Prohibits Public Disclosure of Personal Information of Judicial Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
11/16 A 1897 Reduces Criminal Penalty for Marijuana Possession Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
6/18 A 1897 Reduces Criminal Penalty for Marijuana Possession Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
7/30 A 1906 Establishes Crime of False 911 Calls with Purpose to Intimidate or Harass Based on Race Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/30 A 1906 Establishes Crime of False 911 Calls with Purpose to Intimidate or Harass Based on Race Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/22 A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
7/20 A 2176 Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings Bill Passed - House (97 - 44)
8/27 A 2370 Establishes Compassionate Release System for Inmates with Terminal Illnesses Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
6/18 A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
6/18 A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
7/30 A 3641 Requires Cultural Diversity and Implicit Bias Training for Law Officers Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
3/16 A 3859 Prohibits Evictions and Foreclosures During Emergency Circumstances Bill Passed - House (60 - 0)
7/30 A 4170 Limits the Use of Data Collected for Purposes of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Bill Passed - House (55 - 18)
7/16 A 4175 Establishes the "New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act" Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)

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