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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 4, 2016 | AZ | SB 1268 | Exempts Cities from Assured Water Supply Requirement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
May 4, 2016 | AZ | SB 1400 | Amends Review Process for County Water Supply | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
April 6, 2016 | AZ | SB 1248 | Prohibits Pet Stores from Selling Commercially Bred Animals | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
Aug. 24, 2016 | CA | SB 32 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
Aug. 29, 2016 | CA | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 32) |
Aug. 26, 2016 | CA | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
Aug. 24, 2016 | CA | AB 197 | Establishes the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 30) |
Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Aug. 23, 2016 | CA | SB 32 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels | Bill Passed - House (48 - 31) |
Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 197 | Establishes the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 16, 2016 | CA | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
June 2, 2016 | CA | AB 2757 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 35) |
March 29, 2016 | CO | SB 157 | Requires Suspension of Clean Power Plan Implementation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | CO | HB 1004 | Amends Climate Impact Plan | Bill Passed - House (34 - 31) |
April 12, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
April 12, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
Feb. 22, 2016 | HI | SB 2647 | Prohibits Sale of Endangered Species Parts or Products | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 7) |
March 8, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - House (44 - 7) |
March 8, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - House (44 - 7) |
Feb. 25, 2016 | IA | SF 2289 | Expands Criminal Offenses for Animal Mistreatment | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
Feb. 25, 2016 | IA | SF 2289 | Expands Criminal Offenses for Animal Mistreatment | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
March 1, 2016 | KY | SB 89 | Authorizes Construction of Nuclear Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
April 18, 2016 | LA | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
March 30, 2016 | MD | SB 323 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - House (97 - 39) |
March 21, 2016 | MD | HB 1106 | Increases Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards | Bill Passed - House (92 - 43) |
March 9, 2016 | MD | SB 198 | Prohibits Certain Pesticides | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
April 6, 2016 | MD | SB 921 | Increases Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - House (112 - 38) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - House (111 - 46) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
Feb. 22, 2016 | MO | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Bill Passed - House (104 - 49) |
Jan. 21, 2016 | National | S J Res 22 | A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to the Definition of "Waters of the United States" Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 40) |
Jan. 13, 2016 | National | S J Res 22 | A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to the Definition of "Waters of the United States" Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act | Joint Resolution Passed - House (253 - 166) |
May 24, 2016 | National | HR 897 | Zika Vector Control Act | Bill Passed - House (258 - 156) |
Feb. 4, 2016 | National | S 2012 | Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (43 - 54) |
Jan. 12, 2016 | National | HR 1644 | Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining (STREAM) Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 188) |
Feb. 26, 2016 | National | HR 2406 | Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (242 - 161) |
Jan. 12, 2016 | National | HR 1644 | Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining (STREAM) Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 188) |
June 20, 2016 | NC | HB 763 | Prohibits Wind Farms in Certain Military Flight Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
April 13, 2016 | NE | LB 824 | Amends Renewable Energy Development Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 10) |
Feb. 5, 2016 | NE | LB 176 | Authorizes Meatpackers to Own Swine | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
Feb. 11, 2016 | NJ | S 988 | Authorizes Qualified Wind Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
March 14, 2016 | NJ | S 1707 | Requires Increased Use of Renewable Energy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
May 25, 2016 | OH | SB 331 | Establishes Regulations for Dog Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
March 2, 2016 | OR | SB 1547 | Prohibits the Use of Coal as an Energy Supply Source | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
March 1, 2016 | OR | SB 1547 | Prohibits the Use of Coal as an Energy Supply Source | Bill Passed - House (38 - 20) |
March 2, 2016 | OR | HB 4040 | Authorizes Removal of Gray Wolf from Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
March 2, 2016 | OR | HB 4037 | Establishes Solar Energy Incentives Program | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
Feb. 17, 2016 | OR | HB 4122 | Requires Genetically Engineered Fish to Be Labeled | Bill Passed - House (32 - 27) |
Feb. 15, 2016 | OR | HB 4036 | Requires Electric Companies to Eliminate Coal Power | Bill Passed - House (39 - 20) |
Feb. 12, 2016 | OR | HB 4040 | Authorizes Removal of Gray Wolf from Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - House (33 - 23) |
June 7, 2016 | RI | H 8240 | Requires Referendum for Power Plant Tax Agreement | Bill Passed - House (64 - 7) |
April 5, 2016 | RI | S 2185 | Extends Renewable Energy Standard Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
Jan. 27, 2016 | SD | HB 1075 | Expands Nonresident Waterfowl Hunting Areas | Bill Passed - House (36 - 32) |
Feb. 23, 2016 | SD | HB 1206 | Authorizes the Use of Handguns to Hunt Game Birds | Bill Failed - House (23 - 44) |
Feb. 29, 2016 | TN | SB 1821 | Authorizes the Possession of a Live Skunk | Bill Failed - House (44 - 36) |
March 10, 2016 | UT | SB 115 | Amends Regulations Regarding Public Electricity | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
March 10, 2016 | UT | SB 115 | Amends Regulations Regarding Public Electricity | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | WI | AB 600 | Amends Shoreline Development Regulations | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |