Sen. Brewer Highlights 2007 Legislative Record

During the first half of the 2007-2008 legislative session, Senator Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre) advocated on several legislative initiatives, including improving the current health care reform law, adding protections and benefits to consumers, and increasing veterans’ benefits.     

Senator Brewer teamed with his colleagues, as part of the continuing effort to implement the Commonwealth’s historic health care reform law, to pass legislation that would strengthen the Health Care Quality and Cost Council to further their efforts to reduce the cost and improve quality, and to address disparities in order to best implement the law and ensure affordable, quality health care for Massachusetts residents.  Senate 2426, “An Act Further Regulating Health Care Access,” was signed into law on November 29, 2007, and is now Chapter 205 of the Acts of 2007. 

As a member of the conference committee, Senator Brewer teamed with Senator Michael W. Morrissey (D-Quincy), Senator Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester), and House Conferees to fine tune identity theft legislation originally filed by Senator Morrissey.  This legislation provides Massachusetts’ consumers with greater protections from identity theft.  The bill increases requirements on companies and agencies to identify and report security breaches.  It also gives consumers tools to protect their personal credit information by giving them the option to prevent credit reporting agencies for releasing their personal information without permission. Governor Deval Patrick signed into law the comprehensive identity theft prevention legislation on August 2, 2007, and is now Chapter 82 of the Acts of 2007.  

As a co-sponsor of House Bill 2876, “An Act Providing for a Certain Exemption from the Sales Tax,” filed by former Representative Robert K. Coughlin, Senator Brewer was instrumental in getting this legislation passed in the Senate.  The Commonwealth continues to build on the success of the past two years’ sales tax holiday weekends, with this bill designating August 11-12, 2007 as the tax-free shopping weekend.  This is the third year for the tax-free weekend, and the fourth year a tax-free holiday has been passed.  Last year, the tax-free weekend produced $500 million in sales.  Governor Patrick signed House Bill 2876 into law on August 2, 2007, and is now Chapter 81 of the Acts of 2007.

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Senator Brewer led the effort in getting Senate Bill 2366, “An Act to Promote Veterans Benefits,” passed in the Senate.  In 2005, the Legislature passed the Welcome Home Bill.  The statute provides for a one-time, tax-free bonus for veterans who are Massachusetts residents and were active duty on or after September 11, 2001.  For active service in Iraq or Afghanistan, veterans are eligible to receive $1000.  For veterans who served elsewhere either at home or abroad, a $500 bonus is available.  With only one half of eligible veterans collecting their Welcome Home bonus, this Senate legislation adds a check box on state income tax forms to help better identify veterans who are eligible for the bonus.  Governor Patrick signed S.2366 into law on November 27, 2007, and is now Chapter 186 of the Acts of 2007.    

Two other important veterans’ benefit bills that Senator Brewer advocated favorably in the Senate on are Senate Bill 2372, “An Act Relative to Veterans’ Burial Benefits,” and Senate Bill 2129, “An Act Relative to Fuel and Shelter Benefits for Veterans.”  S.2372 honors veterans in the Commonwealth by increasing the existing burial benefits for indigent veterans from $2,000 to $5,000 for services and from $3,000 to $6,000 for the cost of funeral and burial for indigent veterans and adds Veterans’ Day, in addition to Memorial Day, as a day when flags will be placed on veterans’ graves.  The Senate passed S.2372 unanimously on November 5, 2007, and it is currently pending in the House.  S.2129 helps to ensure that our veterans in the Commonwealth are not left out in the cold.  The Senate passed legislation that would provide heating fuel assistance to hundreds of veterans and their families.  This bill requires an additional $3.9 million annually, ensuring for the first time that fuel benefits for veterans and their dependents have a statutory minimum level instead of a discretionary annual review. 

“I am thrilled to see the successful outcome of the first half of this legislative session,” said Senator Brewer.  “Oftentimes, it is difficult for bills to see the light of day, especially in the first half of any given session.  An extremely small percentage of the bills filed actually become law and I am pleased to see that a majority of the bills described above are printed in the statute books.  I pledge to continue to work hard this year to get bills passed that will improve the lives of residents in the Commonwealth.”    

Informal sessions, where non-controversial bills will be taken up, are scheduled twice a week for the remainder of the year.  Formal sessions have been scheduled for the next couple of months where the Senate will address controversial matters.