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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2017 | ND | HB 1310 | Amends Concealed Carry Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 27) |
| March 28, 2017 | MN | SF 803 | Appropriates Funds to Various Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 15) |
| March 27, 2017 | MD | HB 1325 | Prohibits Fracking | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 27, 2017 | MD | HB 1325 | Prohibits Fracking | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 27, 2017 | TN | SJR 141 | Authorizes Relocation of President James K. Polk's Body | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| March 26, 2017 | NC | HB 174 | Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Certain Church Services | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
| March 25, 2017 | MT | SB 329 | Prohibits Abortion 20 Weeks After Fertilization | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 24, 2017 | MD | SB 1081 | Establishes Funds to Support Family Planning Services | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 23, 2017 | FL | HB 7007 | Authorizes Health Insurance and Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - House (77 - 37) |
| March 23, 2017 | FL | SB 436 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| March 23, 2017 | TN | SB 0902 | Imposes a $200 Fine for Obstructing Roads | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 2) |
| March 23, 2017 | VT | S 96 | Establishes Protections For Journalists | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| March 23, 2017 | FL | SB 436 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| March 22, 2017 | IA | SF 447 | Limits Nuisance Damages Against Livestock Farmers | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| March 21, 2017 | OK | HB 1549 | Prohibits Abortions Based on Genetic Abnormalities | Bill Passed - House (67 - 16) |
| March 21, 2017 | IA | HF 524 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (96 - 0) |
| March 20, 2017 | CA | AB 18 | Authorizes a Ballot Measure to Appropriate $3 Billion to State Parks | Bill Passed - House (59 - 19) |
| March 17, 2017 | NM | HB 241 | Establishes New Standards of Evaluation for Teachers | Veto Override Failed - House (36 - 31) |
| 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 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| March 15, 2017 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes a Health Insurance Cost-Sharing Program | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| March 15, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| March 15, 2017 | NM | SB 121 | Prohibits Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - House (44 - 23) |
| March 15, 2017 | NM | SB 252 | Enacts End of Life Options Act | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 22) |
| March 14, 2017 | IA | SF 447 | Limits Nuisance Damages Against Livestock Farmers | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| March 13, 2017 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes a Health Insurance Cost-Sharing Program | Bill Passed - House (78 - 53) |
| March 9, 2017 | NM | SB 374 | Prohibits Public Shaming of Students Who Can't Pay for Lunch | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| March 7, 2017 | MS | HB 1090 | Authorizes Private Contractor to Audit Medicaid | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| March 7, 2017 | HI | HB 2 | Authorizes Tiny Houses for Farm Workers | Bill Passed - House (41 - 10) |
| March 6, 2017 | WA | SB 5289 | Prohibits Cell-Phone Use on Highways | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| March 6, 2017 | KY | SB 17 | Authorizes Expression of Religious or Political Viewpoints in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| March 3, 2017 | KY | HB 520 | Authorizes Charter Schools to Operate in Kentucky | Bill Passed - House (56 - 39) |
| March 1, 2017 | SC | H 3516 | Increases Gas Taxes and Fees to Improve Infrastructure | Bill Passed - House (97 - 18) |
| March 1, 2017 | AZ | SB 1441 | Establishes Arbitration Process for Unexpected Medical Billing | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| Feb. 28, 2017 | WA | SB 5008 | Modifies Legislation Related to REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |
| Feb. 22, 2017 | AZ | SB 1367 | Requires Physicians to Attempt to Revive Viable Fetus After Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Feb. 10, 2017 | National | PN 33 | Nomination of Thomas Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 8, 2017 | National | PN 33 | Nomination of Thomas Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services | Cloture Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 8, 2017 | MS | HB 1090 | Authorizes Private Contractor to Audit Medicaid | Bill Passed - House (77 - 45) |
| Feb. 7, 2017 | National | PN 37 | Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 50) |
| Feb. 6, 2017 | IA | SF 166 | Authorizes School Funding Increase of 1.11 Percent | Bill Passed - House (55 - 40) |
| Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1193 | Classifies Economic Harm as a Class C Felony | Bill Passed - House (72 - 19) |
| Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1329 | Prohibits Safe Spaces at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (65 - 25) |
| Feb. 3, 2017 | National | PN 37 | Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education | Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 2, 2017 | MD | HB 1106 | Increases Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| Feb. 2, 2017 | IA | SF 166 | Authorizes School Funding Increase of 1.11 Percent | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| Jan. 31, 2017 | MD | HB 1106 | Increases Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards | Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| Jan. 24, 2017 | VA | HB 1578 | Authorizes Home-schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |