Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


Page 1 of 7
results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 17, 2020 NJ A 4454 Requires School Districts to Include Instruction on Diversity and Inclusion as Part of New Education Standards Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
Dec. 9, 2020 MI SB 1252 Appropriates $600 Million to the Flint Water Settlement Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
Dec. 2, 2020 OH SB 40 Prohibits State Universities from Enacting Limitations on Campus Free Speech Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
Dec. 2, 2020 MI HB 5679 Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act Bill Passed - House (80 - 24)
Dec. 2, 2020 OH SB 334 Establishes Juneteenth as a Paid State Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
Oct. 29, 2020 NJ A 4545 Requires Instruction on Racial Discrimination, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Bill Passed - House (56 - 7)
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 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16)
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)
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)
Oct. 2, 2020 VA SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
Oct. 2, 2020 National H Res 1153 Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent Bill Passed - House (232 - 157)
Sept. 30, 2020 National HR 6270 Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (253 - 163)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT S 119 Amends Standards for Police Use of Force Policies Bill Passed - House (106 - 37)
Sept. 17, 2020 National HR 2694 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (329 - 73)
Sept. 16, 2020 National HR 2574 Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
Sept. 15, 2020 PA HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
Sept. 15, 2020 National HR 2639 Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (248 - 167)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/17 A 4454 Requires School Districts to Include Instruction on Diversity and Inclusion as Part of New Education Standards Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
12/09 SB 1252 Appropriates $600 Million to the Flint Water Settlement Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
12/02 SB 40 Prohibits State Universities from Enacting Limitations on Campus Free Speech Bill Passed - House (66 - 27)
12/02 HB 5679 Amends the Sex Offender Registry Act Bill Passed - House (80 - 24)
12/02 SB 334 Establishes Juneteenth as a Paid State Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
10/29 A 4545 Requires Instruction on Racial Discrimination, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Bill Passed - House (56 - 7)
10/16 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
10/14 HB 5099 Prohibits No-Knock Search Warrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16)
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)
10/02 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
10/02 SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
10/02 H Res 1153 Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent Bill Passed - House (232 - 157)
9/30 HR 6270 Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (253 - 163)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
9/22 S 119 Amends Standards for Police Use of Force Policies Bill Passed - House (106 - 37)
9/17 HR 2694 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (329 - 73)
9/16 HR 2574 Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
9/15 HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
9/15 HR 2639 Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (248 - 167)
9/10 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
9/10 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
9/10 SB 5024 Authorizes the Attorney General to File a Civil Suit or Inquire into Law Enforcement Engaging in Unlawful Practices Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)

Page 1 of 7
arrow_upward