AARP Texas Recognizes Nine State Lawmakers as 2025 Legislative Champions

AARP Texas proudly recognizes nine state legislators as 2025 legislative champions for their extraordinary efforts to address the needs of older Texans and their families.

The AARP Texas 2025 Legislative Champions are: State Reps. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas), Drew Darby (R-San Angelo), Jay Dean (R-Longview), and Mary Ann Perez (D-Houston); State Sens. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), César Blanco (D-El Paso), Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), and Royce West (D-Dallas).

“From new fraud fighting safeguards and elder abuse protections to new laws aimed at taming healthcare and insurance costs, older Texans and other consumers achieved significant wins,” said AARP Texas Director Lisa A. Rodriguez. “These advances are due, in large part, to the commitment and hard work of this year’s legislative champions and the powerful voices of our more than 2.4 million members statewide.”

Kathy Green, the AARP Texas state-federal advocacy manager, added: “We sincerely thank these public servants for their tireless work. Their remarkable achievements and genuine efforts to address the needs of older Texans and their families are deeply appreciated.”

• Rep. Rafael Anchía is honored for his work to establish new protections against home title fraud (or deed fraud), which is the illegal transfer and recording of a real estate title without the knowledge or consent of the legal owner.
  
• Rep. Drew Darby is recognized for working to make changes to allow nurse practitioners more authority to help resolve Texas’ shortage of primary healthcare providers, and for helping to create a new law that enhances consumer protection in the residential solar market.
  
• Rep. Jay Dean receives honors for his work as chairman of the House Insurance Committee on efforts to keep insurance costs affordable.
  
• Rep. Mary Ann Perez is honored for her legislative work to stop fraud, including authoring and sponsoring multiple bills to give law enforcement tools to fight and investigate crimes, including expansion of authority for the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, which works to bust fraudsters of all kinds.
  
• Sen. Carol Alvarado earns recognition for leading efforts to: protect residents of long-term care facilities, improve access to the state’s Medicaid program, and simplify the complaint process with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. She also helped establish a new bridge to bypass a dangerous railroad crossing.
  
• Sen. César Blanco gets recognition for fighting for legislation to improve healthcare access through Advance Practice Registered Nurses and measures to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
  
• Sen. Robert Nichols is honored for, among other things, his work to advance several fraud-fighting protections, including pushing for the expansion of authority for the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center and increased penalties for various types of financial crimes.
  
• Sen. Tan Parker is recognized for numerous efforts to protect older Texans from fraud and elder abuse. He worked to advance legislation regulating cryptocurrency kiosks and raised awareness about the threat that these largely unmonitored devices pose when scammers direct victims to convert their savings into cryptocurrency. He also successfully passed a landmark new law that strengthens protections for residents in continuing care and retirement communities.
  
• Sen. Royce West has earned AARP Texas honors for working to pass legislation to support kinship caregivers and sponsoring other bills to, among other things, combat real estate fraud.

Here’s more on how AARP Texas strived to advance issues important to older Texans and their families in its work at the Texas Legislature:

• AARP Texas: 2025 Legislative Session Brings Wins For Older Texans
• AARP Texas Volunteers Drive Change
• AARP Texas Advocacy Hub