Amanda Aguirre

Biographical Information

Rep. Robert Cannell was appointed January 24, 2003 to fill Herb Guenther’s Senate seat at which point, Rep. Cannell resigned his House seat and was sworn in as Senator for District 24 on January 27, 2003.   Amanda Aguirre was appointed February 6, 2003 to fill the House seat for District 24 and she was sworn in February 10, 2003 (Journal of the House of Representatives, 46th Legislature, 1st Regular Session, 2003, p. v).   The following is from ALIS for the 49th Arizona State Legislature, 2nd Regular Session (2010) (edited to fit):

Amanda Aguirre  
Democrat  District 24
Senate
1700 W. Washington
Room 314
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number:   (602) 926-4139
Fax Number:   (602) 417-3184 
Email Address: [email protected]
Home City:  Yuma
Occupation: CEO/President of Regional Center for Border Health & San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. (Primary Care Center)
Member Since:  2006
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Amanda Aguirre has been involved for more that 25 years in public health education and administration with a strong emphasis in U.S.-Mexico border health issues and has lived in Yuma for the past 23 years.  She possesses a life-long commitment to education since she was raised by parents who were both elementary school teachers.  From them she developed her Democratic values to work hard and serve her community before all else.

Senator Aguirre holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.  In 1981, she received her Master’s Degree from California State University, Los Angeles, in Nutrition, with a focus on feeding problems of children with developmental disabilities.

Ms. Aguirre became the first female and first Hispanic to represent District 24 (Yuma and La Paz Counties) in the Arizona State House of Representatives on February 2003, when the Yuma County Board of Supervisors appointed her to the 46th Arizona State Legislature.  She was later elected to serve in the House of Representatives for a full term a year later, and the Arizona State Senate in 2006, where she has served ever since.

During her time in office, Senator Aguirre has had great success in passing key bi-partisan legislation.  Most recently, she undertook and passed a bill to establish an Autism Task Force legislative committee to review the coordination of services provided by state agencies, schools and organizations relating to the treatment of persons with autism spectrum disorder and recommend solutions for improvement of these services.  On a similar note, she was also the champion of legislation passed in 2008 coined “Steven’s Law,” which requires private medical insurance companies to provide Autism intervention service coverage under their insurance plan benefits.

Also in this last legislative session 2010, Sen. Aguirre was successful in passing two other major bills, one protecting property owner-tax payers to be included in the approval of the dissolution of an Arizona fire district; and SB1182 which gives psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners the authority to conduct court-ordered mental health evaluations and treatment procedures, this bill was introduced on behalf of the Arizona Nurses Association.

Other past successful legislation includes: the creation of a “Breast Cancer Awareness” special license plate with proceeds benefitting cancer screening for uninsured women; establishing liability protection guidelines for volunteer citizens performing emergency medical assistance during a state of emergency; and successfully establishing a “credit freeze” option for victims of identity theft, which passed unanimously with bipartisan support in both House of Representatives and the Senate; and securing $1 Million dollars to fund the state diabetes prevention and awareness campaign.

Ms. Aguirre was recently appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to serve on her 5 member bipartisan Advisory Group for Behavioral Health, a committee made up of two Senators, two Representatives to address structural reform and challenges faced by the state in administering and delivering behavioral health services.

Senator Aguirre was appointed to co-chair the In-Home Care Study Committee in 2008 and 2009 which made her the only Democrat to co-chair a joint legislative committee in a Republican controlled legislature.  Sen. Aguirre is also the current ranking member on the Senate Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform Committee.  She also presently serves on the Northern Arizona University Interdisciplinary Health Policy Institute Advisory Board, which compiles twelve of the most influential healthcare decision-makers in the state.

Other notable efforts include the successful community involved clean-up of illegal dumping sites in her district, and hosting county-wide child immunization events.

In her free time, Senator Aguirre enjoys traveling, reading, playing guitar, kayaking on the Colorado River, and spending time with her significant other and cat “Nafta.”

Appointments
•In November 2009, Ms. Aguirre was appointed to the NAU Interdisciplinary Health Policy Institute Advisory Board
•In 2007, Senate President Bee appointed Ms. Aguirre to serve as a member of the Arizona Homeland Security Coordinating Council.
•In February 13, 2007, Governor Janet Napolitano appointed Ms. Aguirre member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. Member of the Arizona Rural Legislators Caucus
•Member of the Arizona Legislators Hispanic Caucus
•In January 2006, became a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, an arm of the National Caucus of State Legislators (NCSL).
•In October 2005 Ms. Aguirre became a member of the Arizona Center for Public Health Preparedness (AzCPHP) Advisory Committee.
•In August 2005, Ms. Aguirre was reappointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to the Arizona Governor's Homeland Security Coordinating Council.
•In July 2005 Ms. Aguirre completed a Training Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
•In 2005, became member of the Health Committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL).
•In May 2004, Governor Janet Napolitano appointed Ms. Aguirre member of the Arizona State Citizen Corps Council. The Council's mission is to "harness the power of every citizen to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, people health issues and disasters of all kind".
•In February 2003 Ms. Aguirre became a member of the Good Neighbor Environment Board an Advisory Board to the United States Congress and President Bush on environmental issues.
•From 2003-2006, Ms. Aguirre served as a member of the Arizona Governor’s Homeland Security Council, (being the only State Legislator in such council) appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano.
•January 2000-2003 Ms. Aguirre served as member of the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission appointed by President Clinton.
•In 1999 Ms. Aguirre was also appointed by Governor Jane D. Hull to serve in the Governor's Commission on the Health Status of Women and Their Families and presently continues being a member under the leadership of Governor Janet Napolitano.
•Joint Legislative Statewide Health Care Task Force

Additional Information

replaced Robert C. Cannell

Employment

Arizona Legislative Service

Sources

Birth: Project Vote Smart; Occupation: 2008 Guide to the 48th Legislature (green book)