Record of Reform

Senator Murray has been instrumental in the passage of groundbreaking legislation that has had a major impact on the Plymouth and Barnstable District, the Commonwealth and the nation.  In addition to authoring several state budgets with an eye on fiscal restraint, Senator Murray’s legislative experience covers a wide spectrum of issues. This experience includes the major legislation highlighted below.

Public Office:

MASSACHUSETTS SENATE (1993-present)

2007 to Present

President of the Massachusetts Senate

• Authored the Small Business Health Insurance Relief Bill, passed in the Senate on May 18, 2010 to help reduce small business health care costs and promote job retention and creation. It reduces premium fluctuations in the market and requires insurers to offer affordable health plans. It delivers an estimated premium relief of at least 10 percent that small businesses can save and reinvest in operations and workforce. The final bill was approved July 31, 2010 and signed into law August 10, 2010.
• Supported and passed Foreclosure Protection legislation in the Senate on April 29, 2010 to protect homeowners and tenants from mortgage fraud and arbitrary evictions. It requires that tenants in foreclosed buildings can only be evicted for just cause; extends the "right-to-cure" period for homeowners to come up with past-due mortgage payments from 90 days to 150 days; requires those who want a reverse mortgage to meet with a counselor approved by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs; and criminalizes mortgage fraud. The final bill was approved July 28, 2010 and signed into law August 7, 2010.
• Supported and passed the CORI Reform bill in the Senate on November 18, 2009 to give employers easier access to criminal records, help reduce recidivism, and increase opportunities for former offenders who have stayed out of trouble to re-enter the workforce. The final bill was approved July 31, 2010 and signed into law August 6, 2010.
• Co-authored the Economic Development Reorganization Bill, which passed in the Senate on April 8, 2010 to help small businesses access new capital and dramatically re-structure the state's economic development model by streamlining redundant agencies and developing a cohesive approach to helping businesses establish and grow in the Commonwealth. The final bill was approved July 31, 2010 and signed into law August 5, 2010.
• Supported and passed Safe Driving legislation in the Senate on March 2, 2010 to ban texting-while-driving, making it a primary offense, and taking additional steps to improve safety for all drivers and public transportation passengers while also cracking down on historically bad motor vehicle operators. The final bill was approved June 25, 2010 and signed into law July 2, 2010.
• Supported and passed Anti-Bullying legislation in the Senate on March 11, 2010 to prohibit physical, verbal and written acts that threaten or cause harm to another student, including Internet "cyber-bullying". It requires all school districts, charter schools and non-public schools to develop prevention and intervention plans that include procedures for investigating bullying incidents, notifying parents and determining appropriate disciplinary actions. The final bill was approved April 29, 2010 and signed into law May 3, 2010.

• Supported and passed the Education Reform Bill in the Senate on November 17, 2009 to lift the cap on charter schools and provide options to improve underperforming school districts and narrow the achievement gap in public schools. The final bill was approved January 14, 2010 and signed into law January 18, 2010. It also helped the Commonwealth secure $250 million in federal Race to the Top grant money.
• Supported and passed the County Sheriffs Reform Bill, enacted July 30, 2009, to save taxpayers up to $8 million a year by transferring the remaining seven county sheriffs’ offices to the state payroll and state health insurance plan.
• Supported and passed Ethics Reform legislation in the Senate on May 14, 2009. In addition to strengthening ethics and lobbying laws, the Senate bill added campaign finance reforms. The final bill was approved June 25, 2009 and was signed into law on July 1, 2009.
• Supported and passed Pension Reform legislation in the Senate on March 31, 2009 to eliminate common abuses in the pension system with changes applying to both current and future employees. The final bill was approved June 11, 2009 and was signed into law on June 16, 2009.
• Co-authored comprehensive Transportation Reform, which passed in the Senate on March 25, 2009, dissolving the Turnpike Authority and consolidating multiple agencies into a new, independent authority saving $6.5 billion over 20 years. The final bill was approved June 18, 2009 and was signed into law on June 26, 2009.
• Supported and passed legislation in 2008 expanding the scope of the Mental Health Parity law. The law requires health insurance to treat mental illness and substance abuse the same as physical ailments.
• Promoted and passed advanced biofuels legislation in 2008 making Massachusetts a leading producer of clean-energy fuel alternatives and spurring new economic activity in the forestry and agricultural industries.
• Sponsored and passed Children’s Mental Health legislation in 2008 to improve early identification of children with mental illness.
•  Supported and passed Energy Reform legislation with the Green Communities Act of 2008 to promote energy efficiency and develop renewable energy sources.
• Co-authored and passed phase two of health care reform with the Health Care Quality and Cost-Containment Act of 2008, promoting primary care, transparency, electronic medical records and Health Care Payment Reform.
• Early supporter of biotechnology and passed landmark Life Sciences legislation in 2008.
• Approved phase one of transportation reform in the April 2008 Transportation Bond Bill to contain costs by improving management and performance measures, restructuring MBTA retirement health insurance contribution rates and implementing civilian flaggers.
• Sponsored and passed the Oceans Management Act of 2008 establishing guidelines for future ocean development projects.
• Essential figure and strategist in stopping a proposed ban on Gay Marriage in 2007.

2003 to 2007

Chair, Senate Committee on Ways and Means

• Prioritized the Commonwealth’s stabilization fund, helping it grow from a year-end low of $641 Million at the end of FY03 to $2.15 Billion at the end of FY06. This so-called “Rainy Day Fund” is a major indicator for the state’s bond rating. Resisted repeated attempts initiated by Republican legislators to spend the funds.
• Merged the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) to form the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Senator Murray included it in the FY04 budget, enacted in 2003.

• Vice chair of conference committee and a driving force behind the state’s landmark Health Care Reform Act of 2006. 
• Driving force behind Chapter 70 reform, which established a new, more equitable education funding formula for school districts. Senator Murray included it in the FY07 budget, enacted in 2006.
• Co-authored and passed Nicole’s Law in October 2005 requiring every residence in Massachusetts to be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector. The bill and subsequent law was named after 7-year-old Nicole Garofalo of Manomet who lost her life to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• First to legislatively propose the Smart Growth affordable housing innovation in 2004, which later became Chapter 40R.
• Lead conferee on early transportation reform in 2004 that required Secretary of Transportation to chair all transportation agency boards for improved coordination across all agencies and established non-partisan Transportation Finance Commission.
• Advocated for and established the School Building Assistance Program to end out-of-control budget appropriations. Governor Romney filed original proposal. Senator Murray’s proposal became law in 2004.

2000 to 2003

Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Insurance

• Authored and passed legislation in 2001 that created the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, one of only two in the nation (New Jersey).
• Co-sponsored the Mental Health Parity Bill that passed into law in 2000.

1993 to 1999

Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs

• Authored and passed legislation in 1998 that consolidated childcare services and corrected systemic problems within the Office for Children.
• Initiated and authored a legislative program to overhaul DSS in 1997.
• Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Welfare Reform (1993-94).

• Spearheaded the drive to overhaul the state welfare system in 1993; authored comprehensive Welfare Reform legislation and secured passage in 1995.