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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 17, 2019 | National | S J Res 53 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations" | Bill Failed - Senate (41 - 53) |
Sept. 13, 2019 | CA | AB 792 | Increases Recycled Plastics Percentages Used in Plastic Beverage Bottles | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | SB 8 | Prohibits Smoking at Public Parks and Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 936 | Amends Environmental Protections Relating to Heavy Crude Oils | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
Sept. 10, 2019 | NC | SB 553 | Establishes the Regulatory Reform Act of 2019 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14) |
Sept. 5, 2019 | CA | AB 1162 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastics for Personal Care Products at Lodging Establishments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
July 17, 2019 | OH | HB 6 | Amends Clean Energy Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
July 8, 2019 | CA | AB 1054 | Establishes Wildfire Victim Compensation Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
June 30, 2019 | OR | HB 2007 | Reduces Number of Diesel Trucks Allowed in Specified Counties | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 582 | Establishes a Greenhouse Gas Rebate Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 326 | Expands Protections for Wetlands | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
June 27, 2019 | NJ | A 3726 | Requires Food Waste Recycling Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
June 19, 2019 | NY | S 2000 | Establishes Regulations for PFAS Chemicals in Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6) |
June 18, 2019 | NY | S 6599 | Increases Renewable Energy Goals | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 21) |
June 11, 2019 | OR | HB 2509 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Checkout Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1282 | Establishes a "Green New Deal" | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 6, 2019 | DE | HB 130 | Prohibits Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
June 4, 2019 | ME | LD 1532 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
May 29, 2019 | OR | HB 2623 | Establishes Temporary Ban on Fracking | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 54 | Requires Single-Use Plastics be made from Recyclable Materials | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 210 | Establishes a Smog-Check Program for Diesel Trucks | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 1 | Rescinds Federal Freeze of Environmental Deregulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
May 28, 2019 | CA | SB 43 | Establishes the Feasibility and Practicality of Assessing the Carbon Intensity of Retail Products Subject to the Sales and Use Tax Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
May 27, 2019 | AZ | HB 2753 | Authorizes Environmental State Budget for Fiscal Year 2020 | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
May 26, 2019 | TX | HB 3557 | Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 307 | Prohibits Water Transfers from Desert Groundwater Basins | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
May 13, 2019 | NE | LB 155 | Amends Eminent Domain Provisions to Apply to Renewable Energy Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 0) |
May 9, 2019 | IL | SB 9 | Establishes Coal-Ash Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
May 1, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1261 | Authorizes Regulations on Greenhouse Gases | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
April 30, 2019 | FL | HB 771 | Prohibits Municipal Governments from Prohibiting Plastic Straws | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
April 27, 2019 | WA | HB 1652 | Establishes a Paint Stewardship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
April 25, 2019 | ME | LD 289 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
April 25, 2019 | WA | SB 5993 | Increases the State Hazardous Substance Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
April 22, 2019 | WA | SB 5135 | Authorizes the Department of Ecology to Ban Certain Chemicals in Consumer Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
April 19, 2019 | WA | SB 5001 | Authorizes Composting of Human Remains | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
April 12, 2019 | WA | HB 1578 | Requires Tug Boat Escorts for Certain Oil Barges | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
April 11, 2019 | OR | SB 90 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Straws at Restaurants Unless Asked For | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
April 5, 2019 | MD | SB 285 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
April 3, 2019 | CO | SB 19-181 | Amends Local Environmental Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
April 2, 2019 | MD | SB 516 | Establishes Renewable Energy Standards and Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
March 31, 2019 | NY | S 1508 | Prohibits Retail Stores from Using Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 22) |
March 26, 2019 | MD | HB 298 | Establishes Oyster Sanctuaries | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
March 26, 2019 | National | S J Res 8 | A joint resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (0 - 57) |
March 21, 2019 | VT | S 55 | Establishes Regulations for Toxic Substances and Hazardous Materials | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
March 20, 2019 | IA | SF 548 | Amends Land Purchase Regulations for Water Quality Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
March 13, 2019 | CO | SB 19-181 | Amends Local Environmental Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
March 6, 2019 | NM | SB 489 | Authorizes State Investment in Renewable Energies | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 9) |
March 5, 2019 | HI | SB 522 | Prohibits Certain Plastics | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 1) |
March 5, 2019 | MD | SB 285 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
March 1, 2019 | WA | SB 5116 | Increases State Clean Energy Efforts to be 100 Percent Carbon Free by 2045 | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
Feb. 28, 2019 | National | PN 22 | Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency | (52 - 47) |
Feb. 27, 2019 | National | PN 22 | Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency | Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
Feb. 25, 2019 | IN | SB 553 | Authorizes Public Use of Shore of Lake Michigan | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
Feb. 19, 2019 | OR | SB 256 | Prohibits Oil and Gas Exploration In Coastal Waters | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
Feb. 12, 2019 | National | S 47 | Natural Resources Management Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 8) |