Senator Cruz - The Florida Senate

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Contact:

District Office

210A S. MacDill Avenue
Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 348-1017
Senate VOIP: 41800
FAX (888) 263-3681

Legislative Assistants

Jena Kingery, John Learn, and Deborah Martin

Tallahassee Office

218 Senate Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5018
Senate VOIP: 5018

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Track this Senator's Media

2018-2020

Senator Janet Cruz

Party: Democrat

Committee Assignments

District 18

Maps:

Report:

2010 Census Demographic Profile (pdf)

Consists of part of Hillsborough county

Bills Introduced

Introduced in 2020

S 20 Relief of Angela Sozzani by the Department of Children and Families
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 6
S 66 Student Loans and Scholarship Obligations of Health Care Practitioners
Last Action: 1/14/2020 CS by Health Policy read 1st time -SJ 120
S 96 Educational Opportunities for Veterans
Last Action: 1/15/2020 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
S 98 Medical Marijuana Identification Cards for Service-disabled Veterans
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 12
S 116 Prescription Insulin Drugs
Last Action: 1/22/2020 CS by Banking and Insurance read 1st time -SJ 185
S 166 Charter Schools
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 16
S 168 Drinking Water in Public Schools
Last Action: 1/14/2020 CS by Education read 1st time -SJ 121
S 220 Abandoned Cemeteries
Last Action: 2/20/2020 On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, 02/25/20, 1:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
S 304 School Safety Funding
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 25
S 370 Safe-school Officers
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 28
S 382 Transportation Facility Designations
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 30
S 430 State-licensed Driver and State Identification Cardholder Information
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 33
S 492 Public Notification of Pollution
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 38
S 532 Developmental Disabilities
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 41
S 730 Tampa General Hospital’s Advanced Organ Disease and Transplantation Institute
Last Action: 11/1/2019 Filed
S 964 Education Staff Professionals
Last Action: 11/18/2019 Filed
S 1096 Bottled Water
Last Action: 1/16/2020 On Committee agenda-- Environment and Natural Resources, 01/21/20, 4:30 pm, 37 Senate Building --Temporarily Postponed
S 1098 Fees/Bottled Water Companies/Department of Environmental Protection
Last Action: 1/16/2020 On Committee agenda-- Environment and Natural Resources, 01/21/20, 4:30 pm, 37 Senate Building --Temporarily Postponed
S 1162 Legislature
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 84
S 1194 Employment Practices
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 87
S 1196 Coverage for Epinephrine Injectors for Children
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 87
S 1320 Postsecondary Fee Waivers
Last Action: 2/6/2020 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
S 1410 Public School Transportation
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 104
S 1550 High School Graduation Requirements
Last Action: 2/10/2020 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
S 1712 Emergency Drills in Public Schools
Last Action: 1/22/2020 Introduced -SJ 167
S 1720 Florida Safe Drinking Water Act
Last Action: 2/4/2020 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
S 1724 Health Care Regulations
Last Action: 1/22/2020 Introduced -SJ 168
S 1770 Education
Last Action: 1/22/2020 Introduced -SJ 172
S 1920 The Florida Aquarium
Last Action: 2/19/2020 Filed

Co-Introduced in 2020

S 46 Eye Care for Newborns and Infants
Last Action: 2/18/2020 Now in Banking and Insurance
S 58 Prescription Drug Donation Repository Program
Last Action: 2/12/2020 Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 177 -SJ 266
S 90 Discrimination in Labor and Employment
Last Action: 2/13/2020 On Committee agenda-- Commerce and Tourism, 02/18/20, 10:00 pm, 110 Senate Building --Temporarily Postponed
S 100 Dispensing Medicinal Drugs
Last Action: 2/20/2020 Placed on Special Order Calendar, 02/26/20
S 104 Services for Veterans and Their Families
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 12
S 114 Risk Protection Orders
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 13
S 120 Naloxone in Schools
Last Action: 1/29/2020 Now in Rules
S 154 Human Trafficking Education in Schools
Last Action: 2/6/2020 Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
S 158 Child Restraint Requirements
Last Action: 1/22/2020 Now in Rules
S 190 Medicaid School-based Services
Last Action: 2/12/2020 CS by Health Policy read 1st time -SJ 271
S 192 Sales Tax Exemption/Independent Living
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 17
S 206 Prohibited Discrimination
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 18
S 214 Philosophies that Espouse Superiority
Last Action: 2/21/2020 Now in Rules
S 372 Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel
Last Action: 2/13/2020 Retained on Calendar
S 392 Equal Rights for Men and Women
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 30
S 416 Insurance Coverage for Breast Cancer Tests and Procedures
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 32
S 518 Cardiac Screening for Newborns
Last Action: 1/15/2020 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
S 530 Entertainment Industry
Last Action: 1/14/2020 CS by Commerce and Tourism read 1st time -SJ 126
S 602 Open Educational Resources Grant Program
Last Action: 1/14/2020 CS by Education read 1st time -SJ 128
S 622 Emergency Allergy Treatment
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 47
S 678 Native Language Assessment in Public Schools
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 52
S 718 Domestic Violence
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 55
S 752 Emergency Sheltering of Persons with Pets
Last Action: 2/21/2020 On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/26/20, 9:00 am, 110 Senate Building
S 1006 Coverage for Hearing Aids for Children
Last Action: 2/13/2020 CS by Health Policy read 1st time -SJ 308
S 1044 Animal Cruelty
Last Action: 2/10/2020 Now in Rules
S 1290 Solar Schools
Last Action: 1/14/2020 Introduced -SJ 94
S 1306 Individual Retirement Accounts
Last Action: 2/4/2020 Now in Rules
S 1586 First Responders Suicide Deterrence Task Force
Last Action: 2/13/2020 Now in Rules
S 1592 Florida Working Families Tax Rebate Program
Last Action: 1/22/2020 Introduced -SJ 157
S 1628 Holocaust Education
Last Action: 2/20/2020 Now in Appropriations
S 1696 Student Athletes
Last Action: 2/21/2020 On Committee agenda-- Rules, 02/26/20, 9:00 am, 110 Senate Building

Personal & Career

Legislative Service

Elected to the Senate in 2018
House of Representatives, February 23, 2010-2018
- Minority Leader, 2016-2018

Democratic Deputy Whip, 2010-2012

Honors and Awards

Aetna Healthcare, National Financial Account Manager
CIGNA Healthcare for Seniors Group Sales, Regional Director
CIGNA Healthcare Optical Operations, Director
Fourth Generation Tampa/Ybor City Resident
Pearle Vision Center, owner
American Cancer Society, Freshmen Legislator of the Year Award, 2010
Community Health Charities of Florida, House Member of the Year Award, 2010
Italian Club Ladies Auxiliary, Italian American Woman of Excellence, 2010

Affiliations

FBI Citizens' Academy Alumni
Hillsborough Community College Alumni Foundation
NAACP
National Association of Latino Elected Officials
Tampa Latin Chamber of Commerce
West Tampa Chamber of Commerce
Women In Government
Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus, past Chair
Paint Your Heart Out Tampa, past board member
United Way Campaign CIGNA Healthcare, past Corporate Chair

Biographical Information

Occupation:	Optician/Healthcare Executive
Spouse:	Dr. Stephen "Steve" Rifkin
Children:	Ana Cruz, Raymond "Nick" Cruz, Stephen Rifkin, Laura McCauley
Grandchildren:	Madison McCauley, Peter McCauley, Teresa McCauley
Education:	Opticianry Dispensing, Hillsborough Community College, 1977
Born:	July 7 in Tampa, Florida
Religious Affiliation:	Catholic
Recreation:	Gourmet cooking, tarpon fishing, watercolor, writing

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