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
Oct. 14, 2020 VA SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
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 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16)
March 8, 2020 VA HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17)
March 3, 2020 WA SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41)
March 7, 2020 VA HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35)
March 9, 2020 WA HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 39)
Jan. 17, 2020 WA SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
June 23, 2020 GA HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Concurrence Vote Passed - House (127 - 38)
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)
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. 31, 2020 CA AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 16)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 8)
July 21, 2020 NY A 5630 Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 47)
July 1, 2020 NH HB 1645 Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74)
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 7, 2020 WV HB 4176 Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11)
March 5, 2020 WA HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
Jan. 31, 2020 WA SB 5339 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18)
March 12, 2020 NH HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
March 3, 2020 VA HB 623 Repeals the State Statutory Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Amends State Gender-Neutral Terms (24 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
10/16 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
10/14 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16)
3/08 HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17)
3/03 SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
10/14 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 41)
3/07 HB 1250 Establishes the "Community Policing Act" Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 35)
3/09 HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 39)
1/17 SB 5165 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Citizenship or Immigration Status Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
8/31 SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
6/23 HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Concurrence Vote Passed - House (127 - 38)
10/02 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
8/31 AB 331 Establishes One Credit of Ethnic and Racial Studies as a High School Graduation Requirement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 12)
8/31 AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 16)
8/31 SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
8/30 AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 8)
7/21 A 5630 Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 47)
7/01 HB 1645 Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74)
3/04 HB 623 Repeals the State Statutory Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Amends State Gender-Neutral Terms Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43)
3/07 HB 4176 Establishes the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 11)
3/05 HB 1783 Establishes the Washington State Office of Equity Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
1/31 SB 5339 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18)
3/12 HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
3/03 HB 623 Repeals the State Statutory Same-Sex Marriage Ban and Amends State Gender-Neutral Terms (24 - 16)

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