A bill to provide certain protections to volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities in lawsuits based on the activities of volunteers.

On Apr 30, 1997, the Senate voted 55–44 on “On the Cloture Motion” (S 543). Result: Cloture Motion Rejected. By party: Republicans 54–1, Democrats 1–43. It was a party-line vote: most Democrats and most Republicans voted on opposite sides. 2 members voted against their own party.

During the 105th Congress (1997–1998), Bill Clinton was president, and Republicans held majorities in both the House and Senate.

Result: Cloture Motion Rejected
Yes: 55
No: 44
Did not vote: 1
Date: Apr 30, 1997

By party

Republicans54 yes · 1 no
Democrats1 yes · 43 no · 1 didn’t vote

Who broke with their party

Richard C. Shelby R-AL voted no
Joseph I. Lieberman D-CT voted yes

The bill

S. 543: A bill to provide certain protections to volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities in lawsuits based on the activities of volunteers.

How each senator voted: Yes

Frank Hughes Murkowski R-AK
Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK
Jefferson Beauregard (Jeff) Sessions III R-AL
Timothy Hutchinson R-AR
John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ
Jon Llewellyn Kyl R-AZ
A. Wayne Allard R-CO
Ben Nighthorse Campbell R-CO
Joseph I. Lieberman D-CT
William Victor Roth Jr. R-DE
Connie Mack III R-FL
Paul Coverdell R-GA
Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
Dirk Kempthorne R-ID
Larry Edwin Craig R-ID
Daniel Ray Coats R-IN
Richard Green Lugar R-IN
Charles Patrick (Pat) Roberts R-KS
Sam Dale Brownback R-KS
Addison Mitchell (Mitch) Mcconnell R-KY
Olympia Jean Snowe R-ME
Susan Margaret Collins R-ME
Spencer Abraham R-MI
Rod Grams R-MN
Christopher Samuel (Kit) Bond R-MO
John David Ashcroft R-MO
Chester Trent Lott R-MS
William Thad Cochran R-MS
Conrad Burns R-MT
Duncan McLauchlin (Lauch) Faircloth R-NC
Jesse Helms R-NC
Charles Timothy (Chuck) Hagel R-NE
Judd Alan Gregg R-NH
Robert C. Smith R-NH
Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM
Alfonse Marcello D'Amato R-NY
Michael Dewine R-OH
Donald Lee Nickles R-OK
James Mountain Inhofe R-OK
Gordon Harold Smith R-OR
Arlen Specter R-PA
Richard John (Rick) Santorum R-PA
John Hubbard Chafee R-RI
James Strom Thurmond R-SC
Fred Dalton Thompson R-TN
William H. Frist R-TN
Kathryn Ann Bailey (Kay) Hutchison R-TX
William Philip (Phil) Gramm R-TX
Orrin Grant Hatch R-UT
Robert Foster (Bob) Bennett R-UT
John William Warner R-VA
James Merrill Jeffords R-VT
Thomas Slade Gorton III (Slade) R-WA
Craig Lyle Thomas R-WY
Michael B. Enzi R-WY

How each senator voted: No

Did not vote

Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI

Other votes

From Voteview roll call records.

Cite or embed this page

Capitol Receipts, “A bill to provide certain protections to…: Senate Vote, Apr 30, 1997,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/105-S-53/a-bill-to-provide-certain-protections-to-volunteers-nonprofit (accessed 2026-10-17).