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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 19, 2018 | VT | S 103 | Requires Regulations of Toxic Substances in Products | Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
May 3, 2018 | KS | SB 284 | Authorizes Child Placement Agencies to Deny Service Based on Religion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
Oct. 17, 2018 | PA | SB 554 | Establishes Protections for Juvenile Human Trafficking Victims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0) |
Aug. 21, 2018 | CA | SB 1192 | Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
May 9, 2018 | CT | HB 5170 | Authorizes Schools to Search Student Cell Phones | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
June 25, 2018 | NJ | A 4110 | Requires Seat Belts on School Buses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0) |
March 21, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
Feb. 5, 2018 | VA | SB 168 | Reduces Penalties for Minors Charged with Sexting Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5) |
April 25, 2018 | RI | S 2353 | Requires Educators to Report Sexual Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 0) |
Feb. 1, 2018 | MD | SB 120 | Authorizes Mutual-Consent Divorce for Parents without Year Separation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
June 21, 2018 | NJ | S 2711 | Requires Child Abuse Training for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0) |
Jan. 26, 2018 | UT | SB 65 | Amends Definition of Child Neglect | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 0) |
March 13, 2018 | OK | SB 1140 | Authorizes Child-Placement Agencies to Deny Services Based on Religion | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
April 3, 2018 | RI | S 2299 | Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1) |
April 11, 2018 | OH | SB 82 | Requires Schools to Contact Parents for Unexcused Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |