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
Oct. 16, 2020 VA SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
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 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
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 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
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 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
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 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 35)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
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 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)
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)
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)
Oct. 14, 2020 VA HB 5049 Prohibits the Acquisition and Use of Military Property by Law Enforcement Agencies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
Sept. 10, 2020 VA HB 5049 Prohibits the Acquisition and Use of Military Property by Law Enforcement Agencies Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
Oct. 1, 2020 VA HB 5098 Increases Penalty for Filing a False Police Report Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA HB 5098 Increases Penalty for Filing a False Police Report Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
Sept. 9, 2020 VA SB 5012 Requires Individual Votes of Virginia Parole Board Members to be Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
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 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
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. 25, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/16 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 43)
9/10 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
9/10 SB 5007 Authorizes Defendants to Be Sentenced by a Judge Rather Than a Jury Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 34)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
10/14 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
9/10 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
9/10 SB 5030 Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
10/14 HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
10/14 HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 35)
9/04 HB 5104 Increases Employment Assessment and Review Requirements for Law Enforcement Hiring Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
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 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)
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)
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)
10/14 HB 5049 Prohibits the Acquisition and Use of Military Property by Law Enforcement Agencies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
9/10 HB 5049 Prohibits the Acquisition and Use of Military Property by Law Enforcement Agencies Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
10/01 HB 5098 Increases Penalty for Filing a False Police Report Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
9/04 HB 5098 Increases Penalty for Filing a False Police Report Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
9/09 SB 5012 Requires Individual Votes of Virginia Parole Board Members to be Public Records Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
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 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)

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