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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 7, 2017 | WI | AB 165 | Authorizes Role in a Constitutional Convention | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
June 29, 2017 | NC | SJR 36 | Authorizes Participation in a Constitutional Convention | Joint Resolution Failed - House (66 - 45) |
June 21, 2017 | WI | AB 299 | Authorizes Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
June 19, 2017 | NJ | S 3067 | Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
June 14, 2017 | WI | AB 165 | Authorizes Role in a Constitutional Convention | Bill Passed - House (58 - 37) |
May 31, 2017 | IL | HB 1785 | Authorizes Birth Certificate Changes for Transgender People | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
May 30, 2017 | IL | HB 2462 | Prohibits Screening Job Applicants Based on Wage or Salary History | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
May 25, 2017 | IL | HB 1785 | Authorizes Birth Certificate Changes for Transgender People | Bill Passed - House |
May 24, 2017 | LA | HB 269 | Establishes Protections of Free Speech on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (66 - 26) |
May 11, 2017 | AL | SB 200 | Prohibits Criminal History Inquiries by Employers | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
May 9, 2017 | AZ | SB 1384 | Prohibits Censorship of Student Media | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
May 8, 2017 | AZ | SB 1384 | Prohibits Censorship of Student Media | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
May 8, 2017 | MO | SB 43 | Requires Certain Changes to Discrimination Lawsuit Proceedings | Bill Passed - House (98 - 30) |
May 2, 2017 | CT | HB 6695 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (141 - 8) |
April 27, 2017 | TX | HB 89 | Prohibits Contracts with Companies Boycotting Israel | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
April 27, 2017 | MI | SB 163 | Authorizes "Choose Life" License Plates | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
April 26, 2017 | IL | HB 2462 | Prohibits Screening Job Applicants Based on Wage or Salary History | Bill Passed - House (91 - 24) |
April 26, 2017 | NC | HB 527 | Establishes Sanctions for Disruptive Student Protest | (88 - 32) |
April 26, 2017 | LA | SB 16 | Provides Parole Eligibility to Juveniles Sentenced to Life in Prison | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
April 24, 2017 | NE | LB 75 | Restores Voting Rights Upon Completion of a Felony Sentence | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
April 21, 2017 | VT | H 333 | Requires Gender-Neutral Bathrooms | Bill Passed - House (123 - 19) |
April 17, 2017 | AZ | SB 1406 | Limits Applicability of Disability Lawsuits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
April 12, 2017 | VT | HB 492 | Establishes a Board for Racial Justice in Policing | Bill Passed - House (120 - 25) |
April 11, 2017 | AL | SB 193 | Authorizes Briarwood Presbyterian Church to Form a Police Force | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
April 7, 2017 | WA | HB 1595 | Establishes Fees for Printed and Digital Copies of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 4) |
April 5, 2017 | PA | HB 741 | Reinstates Mandatory Minimum Sentences | Bill Passed - House (122 - 67) |
April 5, 2017 | SC | H 3930 | Amends Handgun Carry Rules | Bill Passed - House (64 - 46) |
April 4, 2017 | TX | SB 576 | Establishes Reporting Standards for Sexual Assault on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 1) |
April 3, 2017 | NE | LB 46 | Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to Create a "Choose Life" Specialty License Plate | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 5) |
March 31, 2017 | MT | HB 595 | Amends State Constitution to Define "Person" | Amendment Adopted - House (58 - 41) |
March 30, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 54) |
March 30, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 7) |
March 28, 2017 | ND | HB 1310 | Amends Concealed Carry Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 27) |
March 23, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
March 23, 2017 | FL | SB 436 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
March 23, 2017 | VT | S 96 | Establishes Protections For Journalists | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
March 17, 2017 | NM | SB 374 | Prohibits Public Shaming of Students Who Can't Pay for Lunch | Bill Passed - House (60 - 0) |
March 15, 2017 | NM | SB 121 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (44 - 23) |
March 15, 2017 | FL | SB 128 | Authorizes Immunity for Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
March 13, 2017 | MO | HB 441 | Establishes Protections for Student Journalists | Bill Passed - House (148 - 6) |
March 10, 2017 | SC | H 3643 | Requires Public Universities to Adopt Antisemitism Policy | Bill Passed - House (103 - 3) |
March 10, 2017 | SC | H 3643 | Requires Public Universities to Adopt Antisemitism Policy | Bill Passed - House (103 - 3) |
March 9, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (59 - 40) |
March 9, 2017 | NM | SB 374 | Prohibits Public Shaming of Students Who Can't Pay for Lunch | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
March 8, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 38) |
March 6, 2017 | KY | SB 17 | Authorizes Expression of Religious or Political Viewpoints in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
March 2, 2017 | MO | SB 43 | Requires Certain Changes to Discrimination Lawsuit Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
Feb. 28, 2017 | WA | SB 5008 | Modifies Legislation Related to REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |
Feb. 23, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - House (72 - 58) |
Feb. 22, 2017 | NV | IP 1 | Requires Automatic Voter Registration when Applying for Driver's License | Bill Passed - House (27 - 15) |
Feb. 15, 2017 | National | H J Res 40 | Providing for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (57 - 43) |
Feb. 2, 2017 | WY | SF 153 | Prohibits Discriminatory Practices in the Workplace | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
Feb. 2, 2017 | National | H J Res 40 | Providing for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 180) |
Feb. 1, 2017 | PA | SB 261 | Increases the Statute of Limitations for Victims of Sexual Abuse | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
Jan. 23, 2017 | VA | SB 1055 | Classifies Failure to Leave Unlawful Assembly After Warning as a Class 1 Misdemeanor | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 26) |