85R31525 BPG-D
By: Hinojosa H.R. No. 2546
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Elliott Naishtat of Austin
represented Texas House District 49 with tremendous dedication for
more than a quarter century before his retirement in January 2017;
and
WHEREAS, First elected in 1990, Representative Naishtat
served during 13 legislative sessions and placed a special emphasis
on assisting the vulnerable, especially the elderly, children,
minorities, people with disabilities, and victims of domestic
violence; he passed hundreds of bills, among them the Nursing Home
Regulatory Reform Act, which created a bill of rights for nursing
home residents and strengthened the state's response to abuse and
neglect, and the Medicaid Simplification Act, which helped tens of
thousands of additional children receive health care; other
significant legislation he passed during his years at the State
Capitol include the Braille Literacy Act, the Landlord-Tenant
Security Devices Act, the Indoor Air Quality Act, the Newborn
Hearing Screening Act, the Child Protective Services Act, and the
Seniors' Property Tax Relief Act; and
WHEREAS, Representative Naishtat cosponsored the Texas
Anti-Stalking Act and Hate Crimes Act, as well as bills that
increased protections for patients in psychiatric, substance
abuse, and rehabilitation facilities; he served in such leadership
roles as chair of the Committee on Aging and the Human Services and
Long-Term Care Legislative Oversight Committees and as vice chair
of the Public Health Committee; moreover, he was a founding member
of the board of the House Progressive Caucus; and
WHEREAS, The recipient of myriad accolades, Representative
Naishtat was named Public Elected Official of the Year for 1999 by
the National Association of Social Workers, and in 2002, he was
accorded the National Consumer Health Advocate Award by Families
USA; in addition, he was recognized by the AARP, the American
Foundation for the Blind, the American Cancer Society, Common
Cause, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and the Texas Public
Health Association, among numerous other organizations; and
WHEREAS, Born in New York City, Representative Naishtat
graduated from Queens College; he was dispatched to Eagle Pass as a
VISTA volunteer in President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty and
went on to earn both a master's degree in social work and a law
degree from The University of Texas; subsequently, he served as
staff counsel for Senator Gonzalo Barrientos before entering
private law practice; he also served as chair of the Austin
Community Development Commission and directed the UT School of
Social Work's Legislative Training Program; and
WHEREAS, Elliott Naishtat made a lasting, positive
difference in countless lives through his unyielding commitment to
protecting the health and well-being of his fellow Texans, and his
outstanding contributions will continue to resonate in the years to
come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Elliott Naishtat for his
exemplary service as a member of the Texas Legislature and extend to
him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Representative Naishtat as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.