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

Jack Anderson and Devin Bleich

Secretary

Zenya Capellan

Tallahassee Office

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

Connect with the Senator:

Track this Senator's Media

Florida Senate Service

2020-2022
2018-2020

2020-2022

Senator Janet Cruz

Party: Democrat

Committee Assignments

District 18

Maps:

Letter Size (pdf)
Poster Size (pdf)

Report:

2010 Census Demographic Profile (pdf)

Consists of part of Hillsborough county

District 18 map

Bills Introduced

Introduced in 2022

S 60 Relief of the Estate of Molly Parker/Department of Transportation
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 7
S 192 Commissioner of Education
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 11
S 550 Unlawful Employment Practices
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 34
S 554 Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans
Last Action: 1/18/2022 CS by Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security read 1st time -SJ 173
S 556 Medical Marijuana Identification Cards for Service-disabled Veterans
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 34
S 562 Military Occupational Licensure
Last Action: 1/26/2022 Now in Appropriations
S 648 COVID-19 Eviction Information
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 40
S 650 Transportation Facility Designations/Virginia Creighton Bridge
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 40
S 652 Human Trafficking Public Awareness Signs
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 40
S 654 Protective Injunctions
Last Action: 1/26/2022 On Committee agenda-- Judiciary, 01/31/22, 3:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
S 656 Family and Medical Leave Insurance Benefits Fund
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 40
S 658 Persons Authorized to Visit Charter Schools
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 40
S 660 Sexual Offense Victim Rights
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 662 Lewd Adult Battery
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 666 State University Student Fee Waivers
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 668 Custodial Interrogations of Minors
Last Action: 1/18/2022 CS by Criminal Justice read 1st time -SJ 173
S 670 Emergency Drills in Public Schools
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 672 School Safety Funding
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 674 Public Meetings During Declared States of Emergency
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 676 Drinking Water in Public Schools
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 41
S 678 Prescription Insulin Drugs
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 680 Public School Transportation
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 682 Reemployment Assistance Claims and Benefits Information System
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 684 The Legislature
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 686 Energy Security and Disaster Resilience Pilot Program
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 688 Employment Practices for Family and Medical Leave
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 42
S 694 Vote-by-mail Ballots
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 43
S 698 Standard High School Diploma Award Requirements
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 43
S 1026 Living Organ Donors in Insurance Policies
Last Action: 1/20/2022 Now in Health Policy
S 1028 End-stage Renal Disease Facility Emergency Planning
Last Action: 1/25/2022 Now in Health Policy
S 1092 Transportation Facility Designations/Maximino Capdevila and Coralia Capdevila Road
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 73
S 1396 Educational Dollars for Duty Program
Last Action: 1/27/2022 On Committee agenda-- Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, 02/01/22, 3:30 pm, 37 Senate Building
S 1574 Prescription Drug Price Transparency
Last Action: 1/18/2022 Introduced -SJ 136
S 1588 Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries
Last Action: 1/18/2022 Introduced -SJ 137
S 1636 Antiretroviral Drugs
Last Action: 1/18/2022 Introduced -SJ 141

Co-Introduced in 2022

S 214 Assault Weapons and Large-capacity Magazines
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 12
S 466 Military Medics and Corpsmen of Florida Program
Last Action: 1/18/2022 CS by Health Policy read 1st time -SJ 172
S 600 Upgrades to Education Facilities as Emergency Shelters
Last Action: 1/27/2022 On Committee agenda-- Education, 02/01/22, 1:00 pm, 412 Knott Building
S 898 Tenant Safety
Last Action: 1/27/2022 CS by Community Affairs read 1st time -SJ 239
S 946 Entertainment Industry
Last Action: 1/11/2022 Introduced -SJ 63

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:	Hillsborough Community College, A.A., Opticianry Dispensing, 1977
Born:	in Tampa, Florida
Religious Affiliation:	Catholic
Recreation:	Gourmet cooking, tarpon fishing, watercolor, writing

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