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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Nov. 17, 2021 MA H 4256 Amends Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
July 31, 2014 MA H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
April 13, 2023 MA H 43 Establishment of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
May 5, 2022 MA H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
May 24, 2006 MA H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
June 28, 2018 MA H 4479 Increases Minimum Purchase Age for Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
Feb. 7, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
June 7, 2018 MA H 4501 Authorizes Capital for State Life Sciences Capital Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Feb. 27, 2020 MA H 4502 Appropriates Funds for the Executive Office of Education to Contain, Treat, and Prevent COVID-19 Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
April 14, 2022 MA H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
April 25, 2024 MA H 4529 Appropriates Funding for Municipal Roads and Bridges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
July 18, 2018 MA H 4546 Authorizes Creation of Community Benefit Districts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
June 12, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
March 20, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
March 31, 2022 MA H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
April 25, 2024 MA H 4582 Appropriates Funding for Homeless Shelter Costs and Amends Stay Limits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
July 1, 2010 MA H 4619 Gambling Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
June 16, 2022 MA H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 20, 2018 MA H 4640 Amends Minimum Wage and Paid-Leave Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 0)
May 6, 2008 MA H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
June 13, 2024 MA H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
July 11, 2024 MA H 4804 Authorizes Grant Programs to Strengthen Economic Leadership Within Various Sectors of Work Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
June 9, 2022 MA H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/17 H 4256 Amends Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
7/31 H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
4/13 H 43 Establishment of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
5/05 H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
5/24 H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
6/28 H 4479 Increases Minimum Purchase Age for Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
2/07 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
6/07 H 4501 Authorizes Capital for State Life Sciences Capital Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
2/27 H 4502 Appropriates Funds for the Executive Office of Education to Contain, Treat, and Prevent COVID-19 Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
4/14 H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
4/25 H 4529 Appropriates Funding for Municipal Roads and Bridges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
7/18 H 4546 Authorizes Creation of Community Benefit Districts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
6/12 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
3/20 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
3/31 H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
4/25 H 4582 Appropriates Funding for Homeless Shelter Costs and Amends Stay Limits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
7/01 H 4619 Gambling Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
6/16 H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/20 H 4640 Amends Minimum Wage and Paid-Leave Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 0)
5/06 H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
6/13 H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
7/11 H 4804 Authorizes Grant Programs to Strengthen Economic Leadership Within Various Sectors of Work Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
6/09 H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)

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