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
Dec. 1, 2020 MA S 2963 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Dec. 29, 2020 MA H 5179 Expands State Abortion Access Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
Jan. 4, 2021 MA S 2995 Amends State Climate Goals Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 2)
March 11, 2021 MA H 73 Establishes That Early Voting by Mail-In Ballot Can Continue Through the End of June Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 29, 2021 MA H 4002 Appropriates Funds for FY 2022 Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 6)
Oct. 27, 2021 MA S 2560 Establishes Senatorial Districts Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
Nov. 17, 2021 MA H 4256 Amends Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
April 14, 2022 MA H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
May 5, 2022 MA H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
June 9, 2022 MA H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
May 26, 2022 MA H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
March 31, 2022 MA H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
June 30, 2022 MA S 2988 Limits Use of Asset Forfeiture Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
July 7, 2022 MA S 2973 Expands Access to Childcare Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
June 16, 2022 MA H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 30, 2022 MA S 2987 Prohibits Juvenile Diversion Under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
July 21, 2022 MA H 5060 Establishes Various New Programs and Laws to Promote Growth in the Clean Energy Industry (38 - 2)
Aug. 1, 2022 MA S 3097 Reduces Barriers to Mental Health Care Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
July 28, 2022 MA H 5106 Establishes New Rules for the Governance and Improvement of Veterans' Homes in the Commonwealth (40 - 0)
Aug. 1, 2022 MA H 5164 Authorizes Sports Wagering in the Commonwealth (36 - 4)
July 26, 2022 MA H 5090 Expands Protections for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care (39 - 1)
Aug. 1, 2022 MA H 5163 Authorizes Technology Improvements to State Judiciary Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 1)
July 21, 2022 MA H 5034 Appropriates $3.8 Billion for Economic Development Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
April 13, 2023 MA H 43 Establishment of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
March 9, 2023 MA H 58 Authorizes Appropriations for the 2023 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
Sept. 28, 2023 MA H 4104 Exempts Decedents Estates from State Estate Tax if Under $2 Million Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 1)
Jan. 18, 2024 MA S 2551 Repeals Certain Language in Several State Laws Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
Feb. 1, 2024 MA H 4139 Amends and Updates Various State Gun Control Laws Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 3)
March 14, 2024 MA S 2697 Expands Childcare Affordability Programs Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
April 25, 2024 MA H 4582 Appropriates Funding for Homeless Shelter Costs and Amends Stay Limits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
June 20, 2024 MA S 2830 Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags at Retail Shops Across the State Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
June 13, 2024 MA H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
April 25, 2024 MA H 4529 Appropriates Funding for Municipal Roads and Bridges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 25, 2024 MA S 2829 Expands the Use of Renewable Energy Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
July 11, 2024 MA H 4804 Authorizes Grant Programs to Strengthen Economic Leadership Within Various Sectors of Work Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
July 18, 2024 MA H 4885 Amends Various State Gun Reform Measures Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5)
July 24, 2024 MA H 4890 Requires Employers to Disclose Salary Ranges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/01 S 2963 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
12/29 H 5179 Expands State Abortion Access Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
1/04 S 2995 Amends State Climate Goals Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 2)
3/11 H 73 Establishes That Early Voting by Mail-In Ballot Can Continue Through the End of June Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/29 H 4002 Appropriates Funds for FY 2022 Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 6)
10/27 S 2560 Establishes Senatorial Districts Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
11/17 H 4256 Amends Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
4/14 H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
5/05 H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
6/09 H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
5/26 H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
3/31 H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
6/30 S 2988 Limits Use of Asset Forfeiture Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
7/07 S 2973 Expands Access to Childcare Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
6/16 H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/30 S 2987 Prohibits Juvenile Diversion Under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
7/21 H 5060 Establishes Various New Programs and Laws to Promote Growth in the Clean Energy Industry (38 - 2)
8/01 S 3097 Reduces Barriers to Mental Health Care Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
7/28 H 5106 Establishes New Rules for the Governance and Improvement of Veterans' Homes in the Commonwealth (40 - 0)
8/01 H 5164 Authorizes Sports Wagering in the Commonwealth (36 - 4)
7/26 H 5090 Expands Protections for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care (39 - 1)
8/01 H 5163 Authorizes Technology Improvements to State Judiciary Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 1)
7/21 H 5034 Appropriates $3.8 Billion for Economic Development Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
4/13 H 43 Establishment of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
3/09 H 58 Authorizes Appropriations for the 2023 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
9/28 H 4104 Exempts Decedents Estates from State Estate Tax if Under $2 Million Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 1)
1/18 S 2551 Repeals Certain Language in Several State Laws Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
2/01 H 4139 Amends and Updates Various State Gun Control Laws Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 3)
3/14 S 2697 Expands Childcare Affordability Programs Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
4/25 H 4582 Appropriates Funding for Homeless Shelter Costs and Amends Stay Limits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
6/20 S 2830 Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags at Retail Shops Across the State Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
6/13 H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
4/25 H 4529 Appropriates Funding for Municipal Roads and Bridges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/25 S 2829 Expands the Use of Renewable Energy Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
7/11 H 4804 Authorizes Grant Programs to Strengthen Economic Leadership Within Various Sectors of Work Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
7/18 H 4885 Amends Various State Gun Reform Measures Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5)
7/24 H 4890 Requires Employers to Disclose Salary Ranges Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)

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