Recent Legislative Accomplishments

• CONSUMERS:
  • Senator O’Leary sponsored legislation to allow for the direct shipment of wine to consumers in Massachusetts in a controlled and safe manner, offering consumers a greater choice when purchasing wine within the Commonwealth. A version of this bill was signed into law as Chapter 33 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was the lead sponsor of legislation which establishes a minimum energy efficiency standards for certain residential and commercial appliances, providing consumers in the Commonwealth with the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to reduce energy consumption. This legislation is now law under Chapter 139 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of legislation which established a heating energy assistance and tax relief program to assist Massachusetts consumers with soaring energy costs during the winter months.  This legislation is now law under Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of legislation which sought to provide a comprehensive overhaul of residential real estate mortgage satisfaction practice in Massachusetts in order to provide remedies to consumers for clearing title after the payoff of mortgages.  This legislation is now law under Chapter 63 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary supported legislation which requires Massachusetts to sell “fire-safe” cigarettes that self-extinguish when not smoked because of the paper they are wrapped in. This legislation is now Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2006.
  
  
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
  • Senator O’Leary supported legislation which granted film producers a 20% tax credit on payrolls for Massachusetts hires and a 25% credit for production costs and equipment on films largely shot in-state. This legislation is now Chapter 158 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary worked with fellow legislators on a comprehensive piece of legislation relative to economic investments in the Commonwealth. Included in this piece of legislation is an initiative which invests $10 million to create a Life Sciences Center that will coordinate all life science activities, attract private funding and provide funding for life science initiatives. This legislation is now Chapter 123 of the Acts of 2006 .
  • Senator O’Leary was a supporter of legislation which appropriated $34 million to build a water purification and sewer treatment plant and modifies zoning requirements to enable Bristol-Meyers Squibb to build a major biologics manufacturing facility at Fort Devens creating 550 new manufacturing jobs. This legislation is now law under Chapter 173 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary supported legislation which encourages communities to expedite the permitting process to 180 days, streamlines the appeals process and creates new Land Court sessions for speedier hearings on land-use issues. This legislation is now Chapter 205 of the Acts of 2006 .
  • Senator O’Leary was an active supporter of legislation which provided the citizens of the Commonwealth with two days of tax-free sales. This legislation is now Chapter 204 of the Acts of 2006 .


• EDUCATION:
  • Senator O’Leary was the lead sponsor of legislation which allows non-custodial parents to be eligible to receive information from their children’s education records unless the school has been provided with evidence that these rights have been specifically revoked. This legislation is now Chapter 62 of the Acts of 2006 .
  • Senator O’Leary has continuously campaigned for increased transportation reimbursements for our regional school districts. The Legislature agreed with Senator O’Leary and dedicated $55 million towards this fund. This is a $5 million increase over last year’s funding level.
  • Since entering office Senator O’Leary has pushed for reform of the Chapter 70 education funding formula. As a part of this year budget the legislature made the first steps towards substantial Chapter 70 reform, weighing each district's aggregate income and aggregate property wealth equally. In total, the legislature increased statewide local education funding by over $216 million from last year.


• HIGHER EDUCATION:
  • As the Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, Senator O’Leary was the champion of Senate passage of legislation which invests $430 million over seven years to increase affordability, caps tuition and fees to the inflation rate and increases financial aid for students. This legislation was engrossed in the Senate on February 15, 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was able to maintain funding for the Cape Cod Community College Environmental Technology, Education & Job-Training Program. Due to the Senator’s campaigning, this program received $126,652, an increase of $2,214 from the previous year. This funding will help educate students on environmental issues and alternative technologies, and trains them for jobs in these industries.
  • Senator O’Leary was able to increase funding for the Cape Cod Community College by 5 percent from the previous year.


• ENVIRONMENTAL:
  • Senator O’Leary was the co-sponsor of legislation which directs state environmental agencies to initiate programs and regulations to reduce toxins in the environment and establishes a Toxics Use Reduction Institution at the University of Massachusetts Lowell to promote environmental management practices. This legislation is now law under Chapter 188 of the Acts of 2006 .
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of legislation which bans the sale of products containing mercury such as button cell batteries, cell phones, thermometers and mercury switches in automobiles. This legislation also set up events to exchange products to reduce mercury waste. This legislation is now law under Chapter 190 of the Acts of 2006 .
  • Senator O’Leary was the lead sponsor and Senate champion of passage of a bill which creates a comprehensive management and zoning program to assist in protection the waters of the Commonwealth. This legislation was engrossed in the Senate on July 20, 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was the co-sponsor of legislation which encourages alternative fuels and alternative-fuel vehicles with tax credits for consumers and mandating the use of alternative fuel vehicles by state agencies. This legislation was engrossed in the Senate on September 29, 2005.


• HOUSING:
  • Senator O’Leary, as Vice-Chairman of Joint Committee on Housing, was an active member of the Subcommittee on the State of Public Housing in the Commonwealth. The Subcommittee recently released a report that makes recommendations for legislative action and compiles findings from visits to many different local housing authorities throughout the Commonwealth.
  • Senator O’Leary was supporter of a bill that will help to move the Commonwealth forward in meeting its affordable housing goals. This legislation grants communities that adopt “smart growth” zoning districts additional state aid to cover new students. This legislation is now law under Chapter 141 of the Acts of 2005.
  • As a part of the Economic Stimulus package the legislature increased the annual allocation for the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, a credit designed to encourage redevelopment, from $10 million to $30 million.


• HEALTHCARE:
  • Senator O’Leary was the lead sponsor of legislation which allows for the deregulation of hypodermic needles in the Commonwealth to slowdown the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in the Commonwealth. This legislation is now law under Chapter 172 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of legislation which creates a licensing and oversight mechanism for institutions conducting human embryonic stem cell research, requiring informed and voluntary consent from donors, prohibiting human reproductive cloning and providing criminal, civil and administrative penalties for violations of this law. This legislation is now law under Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary and his colleagues worked tirelessly to create a comprehensive piece of health care reform legislation which seeks to lower costs on insurance coverage by promoting market reforms and investments in Medicaid reimbursement and preventative care. This bill also recognizes employer responsibility with a fair share assessment and individual duty by mandating coverage. This legislation is now law under Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was the co-sponsor of legislation which expands timely access to emergency contraception by compelling all Massachusetts hospital emergency rooms to make it available to victims of sexual assault, and allow pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception when in compliance with standardized protocols developed by a physician. This legislation is now law under Chapter 91 of the Acts of 2005.


• PUBLIC SAFETY:
  • Senator O’Leary was the lead sponsor of legislation which allowed Massachusetts to become a member of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision, improving Massachusetts’ ability to track and keep tabs on these offenders. This legislation is now law under Chapter 121 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of legislation to provide death benefits for volunteer firefighters and other volunteer public safety personnel. This legislation is now law under Chapter 125 of the Acts of 2005/.
  • Senator O’Leary and his colleagues collaborated to create legislation to provide additional penalties and remedies for repeat drunk driving. This legislation is now law under Chapter 122 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary supported legislation to allow Massachusetts to join ten other states in requiring carbon monoxide detectors in oil or gas-heated homes to aid in the prevention of poisonings stemming from thousands of leaks reported every year. This legislation is now law under Chapter 123 of the Acts of 2005.


• VETERANS/ELDER AFFAIRS:
  • Senator O’Leary was the co-sponsor of legislation which expands tax cuts for senior homeowners by increasing property assessment limits eligible for tax credits. This legislation is now law under Chapter 136 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of a bill to allow senior citizens and the disabled to choose where they receive long-term care. The bill promotes at-home care when appropriate, and would save the state $134 million during the first five years of implementation. This legislation is now law under Chapter 211 of the Acts of 2006.
  • Senator O’Leary was a co-sponsor of the “Welcome Home Bill” for Massachusetts Service Members, Veterans and their Families. This legislation awards between $500 and $1,000 for returning Massachusetts veterans and free tuition and fees for National Guardsmen as well as additional benefits for service members and their families. This bill is now law under Chapter 130 of the Acts of 2005.
  • Senator O’Leary and his colleagues voted in support of legislation to allow cities and towns to offer property tax relief to veterans and surviving spouses. This legislation, also known as the Connolly Law, is law under Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2006.


• ARTS & HUMANITIES:
  • Senator O’Leary supported legislation to invest $13 million in the state’s second largest industry, tourism, to strengthen the cultural resources across the state. This legislation is now law under Chapter 167 of the Acts of 2006.