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Contact:
Email this SenatorDistrict Office
Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 348-1017
Senate VOIP: 41800
FAX (888) 263-3681
Legislative Assistant
Jena KingerySecretary
John LearnTallahassee Office
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5018
Senate VOIP: 5018
Connect with the Senator:
2018-2020
Senator Janet Cruz
Party: Democrat
Committee Assignments
- Military and Veterans Affairs and Space, Vice Chair
- Education
- Health Policy
- Infrastructure and Security
- Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
District 18
- Interactive Map
- Letter Size (pdf)
- Poster Size (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: 8/16/2019 Referred to Special Master on Claim Bills; Judiciary; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Appropriations; Rules -
S 66
Student Loans and Scholarship Obligations of Health Care Practitioners
Last Action: 11/6/2019 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education -
S 96
Educational Opportunities for Veterans
Last Action: 8/16/2019 Referred to Military and Veterans Affairs and Space; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations -
S 98
Medical Marijuana Identification Cards for Service-disabled Veterans
Last Action: 8/16/2019 Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Appropriations -
S 116
Prescription Insulin Drugs
Last Action: 12/2/2019 On Committee agenda-- Banking and Insurance, 12/10/19, 2:00 pm, 412 Knott Building -
S 166
Charter Schools
Last Action: 9/19/2019 Referred to Education; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations -
S 168
Drinking Water in Public Schools
Last Action: 11/18/2019 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government -
S 220
Abandoned Cemeteries
Last Action: 12/2/2019 On Committee agenda-- Governmental Oversight and Accountability, 12/09/19, 1:30 pm, 301 Senate Building -
S 304
School Safety Funding
Last Action: 10/15/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations -
S 370
Safe-school Officers
Last Action: 10/15/2019 Referred to Education; Infrastructure and Security; Rules -
S 382
Transportation Facility Designations
Last Action: 10/15/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Appropriations -
S 430
State-licensed Driver and State Identification Cardholder Information
Last Action: 10/15/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Appropriations -
S 492
Public Notification of Pollution
Last Action: 11/1/2019 Referred to Environment and Natural Resources; Community Affairs; Rules -
S 532
Developmental Disabilities
Last Action: 11/1/2019 Referred to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Appropriations -
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: 12/2/2019 Filed -
S 1098
Fees/Bottled Water Companies/Department of Environmental Protection
Last Action: 12/2/2019 Filed -
S 1162
Legislature
Last Action: 12/6/2019 Filed
Co-Introduced in 2020
-
S 46
Eye Care for Newborns and Infants
Last Action: 8/16/2019 Referred to Health Policy; Banking and Insurance; Appropriations -
S 58
Prescription Drug Donation Repository Program
Last Action: 10/23/2019 Now in Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services -
S 90
Discrimination in Labor and Employment
Last Action: 8/16/2019 Referred to Commerce and Tourism; Judiciary; Rules -
S 100
Dispensing Medicinal Drugs
Last Action: 11/13/2019 Now in Appropriations -
S 104
Services for Veterans and Their Families
Last Action: 11/12/2019 Now in Appropriations -
S 114
Risk Protection Orders
Last Action: 8/16/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules -
S 192
Sales Tax Exemption/Independent Living
Last Action: 10/22/2019 Now in Finance and Tax -
S 206
Prohibited Discrimination
Last Action: 9/19/2019 Referred to Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Judiciary; Rules -
S 214
White Nationalism and White Supremacy
Last Action: 9/19/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules -
S 372
Postsecondary Education for Certain Military Personnel
Last Action: 12/2/2019 On Committee agenda-- Education, 12/09/19, 1:30 pm, 412 Knott Building -
S 392
Equal Rights for Men and Women
Last Action: 10/15/2019 Referred to Judiciary; Commerce and Tourism; Rules -
S 530
Entertainment Industry
Last Action: 12/2/2019 On Committee agenda-- Commerce and Tourism, 12/10/19, 10:00 am, 110 Senate Building -
S 622
Emergency Allergy Treatment
Last Action: 11/6/2019 Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations -
S 678
Native Language Assessment in Public Schools
Last Action: 11/6/2019 Referred to Education; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations -
S 718
Domestic Violence
Last Action: 11/18/2019 Referred to Infrastructure and Security; Judiciary; Rules
Media
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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