Austin, TX – With less than a month remaining in Texas’ 89th Legislative Session, Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, is successfully advancing dozens of Senate and House bills through the legislative process. As of Friday (May 9) the Senate had passed 62 of her bills, 8 of which also were passed by the House of Representatives and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration.

“We’ve made great progress, but our work is far from over,” Dean Senator Zaffirini said. “With the session’s final weeks ahead, I remain focused on delivering results for the families of Senate District 21 and all Texans.”

She has passed 1,388 bills, more than any legislator in the history of the State of Texas, and holds a state and national record of having cast more than 74,000 consecutive votes. This session Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appointed her to the Senate Committees on Business and Commerce; Finance; State Affairs; and Natural Resources, of which she is Vice Chair.

She also is Lt. Gov. Patrick’s appointee to the Texas Judicial Council and the Texas Access to Justice Commission.

As of May 9, the Senate has passed the following bills by Dean Senator Zaffirini: SBs 53, 57, 60, 65, 66, 72, 387, 523, 627, 628, 703, 746, 764, 766, 800, 904, 905, 916, 917, 918, 968, 1015, 1036, 1164, 1254, 1255, 1335, 1532, 1534, 1535, 1536, 1537, 1547, 1559, 1568, 1574, 1619, 1662, 1663, 1666, 1667, 1697, 1760, 1838, 1839, 2069, 2073, 2075, 2077, 2111, 2122, 2124, 2127, 2141, 2342, 2439, 2443, 2501, 2568, 2587, 2589 and 2903.

Of those, the following were passed by both chambers:

• SB 65 would allow counties with populations of more than 265,000 to adopt uniform work hours for county employees.
• SB 72 would give rental car customers the option to purchase a single damage waiver for up to 180 days, aligning rental contract terms across Texas law.
• SB 703 would strengthen licensure restrictions for massage therapists by making indecent assault an automatic disqualification.
• SB 1532 would streamline state water finance reporting by eliminating outdated online posting requirements for the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas program.
• SB 1568 would promote spay and neuter programs by creating a redesigned license plate with the message “Spay. Neuter. Adopt.” to increase public awareness and participation.
• SB 1619 would expand access to life-saving allergy medication by letting schools stock nasal sprays and other new delivery devices, not only EpiPens.
• SB 1697 would improve transparency for home rooftop solar energy devices by requiring electric providers to share a standardized customer guide.
• SB 2077 would make it easier to appoint qualified persons to the Texas Mutual Insurance Board by updating outdated conflict-of-interest rules.

What’s more, the following House Bills (HBs) and House Concurrent Resolutions (HCRs) sponsored by Dean Senator Zaffirini were passed by the Senate and House of Representatives:

• HB 2763 would rename the Texas Department of Transportation building in Starr County to the Eduardo "Eddie" Gracia, Jr., P.E., Area Engineer and Maintenance Facility.
• HB 3135 would allow the issuance of specialty license plates for retired firefighters.
• HCR 29 would designate April as Counseling Awareness Month for 10 years.
• HCR 70 would redesignate Jim Hogg County as the official Vaquero Capital of Texas for 10 years.
• HCR 71 would designate La Salle County as the official Wild Hog Capital of Texas for 10 years.

Dean Senator Zaffirini made history as the first woman Dean of the Senate on Dec. 31, 2023. She succeeds 24 men who held the title since 1909, when it was first assigned to the longest-serving senator. The seventh of only 25 women who have served with 954 male senators in 89 Texas Legislatures, she and Eddie Bernice Johnson joined Cyndi Krier in 1987, marking the first time more than one woman served in the 31-member body. Today there are eight women senators.

Dean Senator Zaffirini also is the namesake of Webb County’s Justice Center, the first state courthouse named for a woman; the student success center at Texas A&M International University; a UISD elementary school; a library at Laredo College; a City of Laredo park; a state park road and soccer mini-pitch in Laredo; a patient suite at the UT Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin; four endowed scholarships; and two grant programs, including the Access to Justice Initiative at the UT Law School.

Photo Credit: Texas Senate Media Services

Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini prepares to present legislation in the Senate chamber during the 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature.

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