Act 2 of 1995, Senate Bill 1 – facilitates the reuse of abandoned industrial sites. Since the inception of his landmark "brownfields" program, more than 1,000 sites have been cleaned up across the Commonwealth. Senator Brightbill’s law won the prestigious Innovations in Government Award from the Ford Foundation and Harvard University, and was honored as a national model by the Council of State Governments. In 2001, President Bush visited Pennsylvania to sign a national brownfields law and congratulate Senator Brightbill on his efforts.
 

Act 23 of 2004 – the Infrastructure and Facilities Improvement Program – an innovative economic development tool, which helps draw thousands of new jobs to Pennsylvania and is credited with bringing more than 4,000 jobs to Pennsylvania.
 

Act 46 of 2005 – establishing Dual Enrollment across Pennsylvania – helps students earn college credit before graduating from high school by establishing partnerships between high schools and local colleges and universities.
 

Act 13 of 2002, Medical Malpractice Reform – designed to provide relief from the high malpractice premiums that were targeted as the cause for some doctors leaving Pennsylvania. He received the Pennsylvania Medical Society Leadership Recognition Award and the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania Board of Directors award for his work.
 

Act 21 of 2003, Senate Bill 521 – established a procedure to help ensure that serious juvenile sex offenders are not released while they remain a danger to the community. This law authorizes county solicitors to seek an involuntary commitment of a sexually violent young adult who is "aging out" of the juvenile justice system.
 

Act 62 of 1987, Senate Bill 805 – created Project Independence, moving more than half a million people from the welfare rolls to the employment rolls and serving as a model for future welfare reforms. This law saved Pennsylvania taxpayers more than $150 million.
 

Passage of a comprehensive tobacco settlement package in 2001, which includes annual allocations for hospital uncompensated care, home and community-based care for seniors, a prescription drug program for low-income seniors, health-related research, tobacco prevention and cessation programs and other health-related programs.