Ryan Guillen
Encyclopedia
Ryan Guillen is the Texas State Representative
for House District 31, which includes Starr, Duval, Zapata, and southern Webb counties. A Democrat
and native of Starr County, Guillen was first elected in 2002.
Representative Ryan Guillen (D) serves House District 31 in the Texas Legislature. Beginning in 2003 with the 78th Session, he has served for five consecutive regular sessions and eight special sessions in the House of Representatives. Representative Guillen and his wife Dalinda were raised in Rio Grande City where they attended public school. He completed his education with a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University in College Station. His family includes many generations of teachers and ranchers, traditions that he continues.
During the 82nd Legislative session, Representative Guillen served as Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. He also served on the Public Education and Election Contest Committees.In 2007 Representative Guillen was appointed to The Energy Council, a multi-state board that meets to collaborate on energy policy for the future. Representative Guillen is a member of the Democratic Caucus and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
Guillen also represents the Texas House of Representatives as a member of the Border Legislative Conference (BLC), a program administered by the Council of State Governments (CSG)-WEST and its regional partner in the South, the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). The BLC is a bi-national program that brings together legislators to resolve problems, to address environmental issues, and to leverage economic opportunities for citizens on both sides of the international border. BLC members are legislators from the ten states along the U.S.-Mexico border: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the U.S., and Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in Mexico.
During the 78th Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Select Election Contests Committee, the Land and Resource Management Committee, the Select Public School Finance Committee, and the Regulated Industries Committee.
In the 79th Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Appropriations Committee, which constructs the state's budget. He also served as a member of the Appropriations Select Committee on Education, the Select Committee on Election Contests, and served as Budget and Oversight Chair of the Financial Institutions Committee.
In the 80th Legislative Session, Guillen served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Calendars Committee which chooses the bills that will be heard for debate. He also served on the Select Committee on Higher and Public Education Finance.
In the 81st Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, the Oversight of Windstorm Insurance Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Select Committee on Transportation Funding.
In the 82nd Legislative session, Guillen served as Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. He also served as a member of the Public Education Committee, the Oversight of Windstorm Insurance Committee, and the Select Election Contest Committee.
During the 81st Legislative Session, he filed and passed legislation creating a drainage district to protect Starr County residents from flood waters. He favored the expansion of CHIP funding for vision, dental, mental and home health, and hospice services.
In the 82nd Legislature, despite steep budget cuts Guillen successfully filed and passed more bills than any other Representative in the Texas House. He fought against cuts to education funding and passed bills improving public safety and government efficiency.
The threat of violence from across the border has always been a concern for Representative Guillen. He worked to pass the $110 million Border Security measure and represents the Texas House of Representatives as a member of the Border Legislative Conference. The conference brings together legislators from ten U.S. and Mexico border states to address environmental issues, resolve problems, and leverage economic opportunities for the hard-working families on both sides of the border.
Representative Guillen was instrumental in providing $13 million and adding 181 new employees to the Texas Veterans Commission for veteran job training. Another bill he supported exempted veterans of conflicts related to the September, 11 2001 World Trade Center attacks from paying tuition for state universities.
Guillen believes student potential is dependent on family, community, and teachers; therefore the representative filed a bill for the fiscal security of the teacher retirement fund and supported higher teacher salaries. Guillen has also worked toward allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees and "reach out" to high school students in need of career and technical training.
Families
• A relative or other person who agrees to accept a child in their home through a parental child safety placement agreement has the authority to perform all necessary tasks to care for the child.
Health Care
• Safety and efficiency to citizens using regional medical transportation services and nonemergency transportation services under the medical transportation program.
• An early detection plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and management of chronic kidney disease.
Education
• A tool that public state libraries can use to combat budget cuts, allowing them to establish and publicize an Adopt-a-Library program to encourage investment in and donations to local libraries.
Public Safety
• Extended rights to citizens to protect themselves by carrying a weapon in a watercraft.
Public Assistance
• An easing of the impact of fines and court costs on low-income individuals by allowing them to make installment payments on those fines and costs.
• A statewide community-based navigator program to assist individuals applying for certain public assistance benefits online through TIERS or any other electronic eligibility system.
Emergency Services
• The same protections to tow truck operators on Texas highways as other emergency providers.
• Effective communication between diverse emergency responding agencies, through a statewide uniform manner of communication, which would allow them to be more effective when disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes strike.
• Search and rescue operations by the game wardens for victims of water-related accidents, as well as the assistance of state military forces with such operations.
Transportation
•Safe and effective operations of the transit district's transportation system by authorizing the governing body of a rural transit district to create, adopt, and maintain such standards.
Families
• Lower property taxes for homeowners who live near commercial zones, the authority local governments need to connect utilities to homes, financial assistance for plumbing and water/sewer utility hook-ups, and windstorm insurance funding for a $2.5 billion storm.
• $3 Billion investment in education, $265 million for financial aid, grants and scholarships to ROTC students and students in high demand industry job training, the resources to develop drop-out recovery programs and better equipped libraries for colleges, the eligibility to receive millions in technology equipment for Head Start's, the ability to use textbook money for technology in public schools, more course flexibility in high school, more funding for Career & Tech courses in schools, grant opportunities for more health care in schools, excused absences for student visits to universities, a sales tax holiday for school supplies, and more adult basic education services to South Texans.
• $5 Billion investment in healthcare including $450 million in bonds for cancer treatment research, immediate medical service to mothers and newborns, faster delivery of diabetic testing supplies and improved diagnosis, and therefore treatment of kidney disease through more stringent reporting.
• A hiring preference at state agencies for transitioning foster care children.
Small Business Owners
• Tax cuts and more flexibility in paying their taxes following a disaster.
Victims of Domestic Violence/Trafficking
• Increased criminal penalties for violators, protection for victims through the removal of the divorce waiting period and of residential lease liability, created a fund for domestic violence shelters, funding for victims to obtain medical forensic exams and a task force, and grant program to protect and provide services to victims of trafficking.
Seniors
• Increased criminal penalties and restrictions to protect seniors from credit/debit card abuse, forgery, fraud, obstruction, and retaliation.
The Disabled
• Half a billion dollar investment in services, a vehicle sales tax exemption, and an Autism Spectrum Disorders Resource Program to provide aid to Texans with autism.
Veterans
• A homestead tax exemption, parking privileges on all vehicles and a discount on license plates for disabled veterans, college credit for physical training, Pre-K for step-children, and in-state tuition for the families of all veterans.
• The option to partner with the VA to create a Veterans Hospital in South Texas.
Farmers & Ranchers
• Increased funding for fever tick eradication, flood control dam repairs, wildfire protection, tax exemptions for more Ag machinery and parts, increased penalties for cattle theft, incentives for the production of methane fuel, more veterinarians in rural/underserved areas through a loan repayment program, and improved protections of private property rights.
Educators
• An $800 pay raise, a $500 bonus for retirees, and guaranteed health insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions.
Health Professionals
• $50 million in financial aid and educational programs to address the shortage of nurses, more doctors in underserved areas through a physician loan repayment program, and better work environment protections for nurses.
State Employees
• An $800 bonus for state employees.
First Responders
• Health insurance options for survivors of officers killed in the line of duty, increased penalties for evading arrest, paid leave for appearing as witnesses in criminal/civil proceedings, paid tuition for relevant courses, and legislative leave for law enforcement officers and fire fighters.
Education
• $523 million for educator pay raises, $635 million for retiree bonus checks.
• $268 million to help build schools, $33 million for school technology equipment, and $2 million for library grants.
• $50 million for drop-out prevention, $146 million for student financial aid, end-of-course exams to replace the TAKS test, Texas Tomorrow Fund II to help families pay for college.
Health & Human Services
• $2.9 Billion to insure more families through Medicaid, $1 Billion to insure more kids through CHIP, and $150 Million for family dental treatment service vans.
• $3 Billion for cancer research.
Transportation
• If the Transportation Committee adopts rules that the owner of a vehicle must prove ownership or right of possession through an affidavit to the operator of a vehicle storage facility, the operator of the facility shall provide notary public service during business hours.
Public Safety
• $40 million for overtime pay for border area law enforcement, $17 million for vehicles/equipment for border area law enforcement, $23 million to hire 100 new border area DPS officers, $17 million for more border area helicopters, $7 million to build border area command centers, $1 million to hire 5 more border area Texas Rangers, and a 10% DPS pay raise.
• Address confidentiality program for victims of domestic violence and unemployment compensation eligibility for victims of domestic violence.
• Home loan program for correctional officers.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
• $182 Million to upgrade Texas parks and provide local park grants, $1.5 million to help food banks buy fresh produce from local farmers, and $3 million to hire fifteen new border Game Wardens.
• Tax cuts for tick quarantined land owners and $300 thousand for fever tick eradication research.
Economic Development
• $14 Billion property tax cut for Texas property owners, 4% pay raise for state employees, and a minimum wage increase.
• $250 Million for water/sewer infrastructure grants, $16 million for colonia paving grants, two-year moratorium on toll roads, $170 million to help low-income families pay their electric bills, and $5 million to help low-income families build/repair their homes.
• Passport option on Texas drivers license and tax exemption of one vehicle per individual.
Veterans Affairs
• Paid college education for children of fallen/disabled veterans/volunteer peace officers, exemption of government/hunting/fishing/concealed handgun license fees for veterans, and $13 million for veteran’s assistance services.
Public Health
• Restores mental health services, vision and dental benefits, and home health and hospice services for CHIP recipients to 2003 levels, and expands Medicaid to cover mental health prescription drugs.
• Creates the Duval and Starr Counties Groundwater Conservation Districts.
• Ensures managed care organizations create special disease management programs that will provide diagnosis and treatment for chronic kidney disease.
Education
• Allotted $25 million to the Instructional Facilities Allotment for new school construction grants and provides contracts for computer related educational materials.
• Allows governing boards of colleges and universities to permit students to pay tuition for a summer term in installments.
Public Safety
• Provided criminal penalties for the illegal use of traffic-control preemption devices, criminal penalties for providing contraband to inmates, prohibits people from using cell phones whiles operating busses, prohibits individual under 18 from operating a vehicle between midnight and 5a.m.
• Established a program to provide low-interest home loans to fire fighters and law enforcement officers.
Low-Income Aid and Relief
• Established a statewide system for identifying colonias and creates a system that monitors the progress of state-funded public health projects.
Economic Development
• Set maximum amount of a late charge or reinstatement fee under a rental-purchase agreement and increased funding for UT Austin's Bureau of Economic Geology.
Family Values
• Allowed a tenant to terminate his or her lease when he or she is subjected to family violence committed in the dwelling.
Military and Veterans
• Allowed for a tenant to terminate his or her lease if the person enters military service or is currently in the military and must permanently relocate or go on assignment, exempts veterans who have participated in the wars following 9/11 from the payment of all charges due to attending colleges, and provided $13 million in funds and 181 jobs to the Texas Veterans' Commission.
State Employees
• Increased the salaries of state employees by 4% for 2006 and 3% for 2007.
Cultural
• Designated Pan de Campo the official state bread of Texas.
County
• Granted Zapata County basic ordinance making power and allowed for a Duval County associate judge.
• Created a hotel tax that will promote tourism and allows counties to repair cattle guards on county roads.
Economic Development
• Allowed local municipalities to adopt an ad valorem tax limitation on homesteads of the elderly and spouses, limited the school taxes paid by disabled homeowners, and set aside funds for roadway development of certain colonias.
• Prohibited an insurer from holding any ownership interest in a repair facility and requires an insurer that holds ownership to divest itself of its interest.
Education
• $500 to teachers and $1000 to administrators for teachers insurance, allowed the Texas Workforce Commission to consult with national teacher pilot programs and submit status reports to the governor, and allowed for the reimbursement of teachers who are using personal funds to supply classrooms.
Military and Veterans
• Ensured employment preferences to veterans.
Public Health
• Provided training to anyone who wants to start a Diabetes self-help group and requires nurses to receive annual training in caring for people with dementia.
• Created the Kenedy Groundwater Conservation District.
Public Safety
• Option for Zapata county to decide if it wants to pay its sheriff's deputies more money and allows the Texas Department of Public Safety to negotiate CHL reciprocity agreements.
• Requires the Governor to develop a statewide homeland security strategy, created the Critical Infrastructure Protection Council, and created the Texas Infrastructure Protection Communications Center.
78th Session
• Election Contests, Select
• Land and Resource Management
• Public School Finance, Select
• Regulated Industries
79th Session
• Appropriations
• Education, Select
• Election Contests, Select
• Financial Institutions (Budget and Oversight Chair)
80th Session
• Appropriations (Vice Chairman)
• Natural Resources
• Calendars
• Higher and Public Education Finance, Select
81st Session
• Border and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Oversight of Windstorm Insurance
• Transportation
• Transportation, Select
82nd Session
• Culture, Recreation and Tourism (Chair)
• Public Education
• Oversight of Windstorm Insurance
• Election Contest, Select
General Election 2008: HD 31
General Election 2006: HD 31
General Election 2004: HD 31
General Election 2002: HD 31
Democratic Primary Runoff Election 2002: HD 31
Democratic Primary Election 2002: HD 31
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
for House District 31, which includes Starr, Duval, Zapata, and southern Webb counties. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and native of Starr County, Guillen was first elected in 2002.
Representative Ryan Guillen (D) serves House District 31 in the Texas Legislature. Beginning in 2003 with the 78th Session, he has served for five consecutive regular sessions and eight special sessions in the House of Representatives. Representative Guillen and his wife Dalinda were raised in Rio Grande City where they attended public school. He completed his education with a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University in College Station. His family includes many generations of teachers and ranchers, traditions that he continues.
During the 82nd Legislative session, Representative Guillen served as Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. He also served on the Public Education and Election Contest Committees.In 2007 Representative Guillen was appointed to The Energy Council, a multi-state board that meets to collaborate on energy policy for the future. Representative Guillen is a member of the Democratic Caucus and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
Guillen also represents the Texas House of Representatives as a member of the Border Legislative Conference (BLC), a program administered by the Council of State Governments (CSG)-WEST and its regional partner in the South, the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). The BLC is a bi-national program that brings together legislators to resolve problems, to address environmental issues, and to leverage economic opportunities for citizens on both sides of the international border. BLC members are legislators from the ten states along the U.S.-Mexico border: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the U.S., and Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in Mexico.
Early life and career
Ryan Guillen was born in College Station, Texas, where his parents attended college. While he was still an infant, his family moved back to their home town of Rio Grande City. Guillen was raised in Starr County where he went to school with his future wife, Dalinda. They attended public and private schools in Rio Grande City and later both graduated from Texas A&M University. Guillen was a rancher, educator, and small businessman in Starr County when he was elected to the Texas legislature. Guillen and his wife welcomed their first daughter, Cinco Demi Guillen, in 2010.Texas State Legislature
Representative Guillen took office in January 2003, following his election in 2002. He has been reelected four times. He is currently serving his fifth consecutive term in the Texas Legislature, including five regular sessions and eight special sessions. During this time he has served on several committees.During the 78th Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Select Election Contests Committee, the Land and Resource Management Committee, the Select Public School Finance Committee, and the Regulated Industries Committee.
In the 79th Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Appropriations Committee, which constructs the state's budget. He also served as a member of the Appropriations Select Committee on Education, the Select Committee on Election Contests, and served as Budget and Oversight Chair of the Financial Institutions Committee.
In the 80th Legislative Session, Guillen served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Calendars Committee which chooses the bills that will be heard for debate. He also served on the Select Committee on Higher and Public Education Finance.
In the 81st Legislative Session, Guillen served on the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, the Oversight of Windstorm Insurance Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Select Committee on Transportation Funding.
In the 82nd Legislative session, Guillen served as Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. He also served as a member of the Public Education Committee, the Oversight of Windstorm Insurance Committee, and the Select Election Contest Committee.
Legislative Achievements
During the 80th Legislature, Guillen favored the expansion of the Texas Children's Health Plan (CHIP), which provides affordable quality health coverage for children. He helped pass the expansion of CHIP to include funding for vision, dental, mental and home health, and hospice services. Guillen also helped pass a bill that allows for the issuance of up to $500 million in general obligation bonds for student loans, more than doubling the previous allowance.During the 81st Legislative Session, he filed and passed legislation creating a drainage district to protect Starr County residents from flood waters. He favored the expansion of CHIP funding for vision, dental, mental and home health, and hospice services.
In the 82nd Legislature, despite steep budget cuts Guillen successfully filed and passed more bills than any other Representative in the Texas House. He fought against cuts to education funding and passed bills improving public safety and government efficiency.
The threat of violence from across the border has always been a concern for Representative Guillen. He worked to pass the $110 million Border Security measure and represents the Texas House of Representatives as a member of the Border Legislative Conference. The conference brings together legislators from ten U.S. and Mexico border states to address environmental issues, resolve problems, and leverage economic opportunities for the hard-working families on both sides of the border.
Representative Guillen was instrumental in providing $13 million and adding 181 new employees to the Texas Veterans Commission for veteran job training. Another bill he supported exempted veterans of conflicts related to the September, 11 2001 World Trade Center attacks from paying tuition for state universities.
Guillen believes student potential is dependent on family, community, and teachers; therefore the representative filed a bill for the fiscal security of the teacher retirement fund and supported higher teacher salaries. Guillen has also worked toward allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees and "reach out" to high school students in need of career and technical training.
82nd SESSION
Representative Guillen worked on and/or was an Author of successful legislation that provided:Families
• A relative or other person who agrees to accept a child in their home through a parental child safety placement agreement has the authority to perform all necessary tasks to care for the child.
Health Care
• Safety and efficiency to citizens using regional medical transportation services and nonemergency transportation services under the medical transportation program.
• An early detection plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and management of chronic kidney disease.
Education
• A tool that public state libraries can use to combat budget cuts, allowing them to establish and publicize an Adopt-a-Library program to encourage investment in and donations to local libraries.
Public Safety
• Extended rights to citizens to protect themselves by carrying a weapon in a watercraft.
Public Assistance
• An easing of the impact of fines and court costs on low-income individuals by allowing them to make installment payments on those fines and costs.
• A statewide community-based navigator program to assist individuals applying for certain public assistance benefits online through TIERS or any other electronic eligibility system.
Emergency Services
• The same protections to tow truck operators on Texas highways as other emergency providers.
• Effective communication between diverse emergency responding agencies, through a statewide uniform manner of communication, which would allow them to be more effective when disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes strike.
• Search and rescue operations by the game wardens for victims of water-related accidents, as well as the assistance of state military forces with such operations.
Transportation
•Safe and effective operations of the transit district's transportation system by authorizing the governing body of a rural transit district to create, adopt, and maintain such standards.
81st SESSION
Representative Guillen worked on and/or was an Author of successful legislation that provided:Families
• Lower property taxes for homeowners who live near commercial zones, the authority local governments need to connect utilities to homes, financial assistance for plumbing and water/sewer utility hook-ups, and windstorm insurance funding for a $2.5 billion storm.
• $3 Billion investment in education, $265 million for financial aid, grants and scholarships to ROTC students and students in high demand industry job training, the resources to develop drop-out recovery programs and better equipped libraries for colleges, the eligibility to receive millions in technology equipment for Head Start's, the ability to use textbook money for technology in public schools, more course flexibility in high school, more funding for Career & Tech courses in schools, grant opportunities for more health care in schools, excused absences for student visits to universities, a sales tax holiday for school supplies, and more adult basic education services to South Texans.
• $5 Billion investment in healthcare including $450 million in bonds for cancer treatment research, immediate medical service to mothers and newborns, faster delivery of diabetic testing supplies and improved diagnosis, and therefore treatment of kidney disease through more stringent reporting.
• A hiring preference at state agencies for transitioning foster care children.
Small Business Owners
• Tax cuts and more flexibility in paying their taxes following a disaster.
Victims of Domestic Violence/Trafficking
• Increased criminal penalties for violators, protection for victims through the removal of the divorce waiting period and of residential lease liability, created a fund for domestic violence shelters, funding for victims to obtain medical forensic exams and a task force, and grant program to protect and provide services to victims of trafficking.
Seniors
• Increased criminal penalties and restrictions to protect seniors from credit/debit card abuse, forgery, fraud, obstruction, and retaliation.
The Disabled
• Half a billion dollar investment in services, a vehicle sales tax exemption, and an Autism Spectrum Disorders Resource Program to provide aid to Texans with autism.
Veterans
• A homestead tax exemption, parking privileges on all vehicles and a discount on license plates for disabled veterans, college credit for physical training, Pre-K for step-children, and in-state tuition for the families of all veterans.
• The option to partner with the VA to create a Veterans Hospital in South Texas.
Farmers & Ranchers
• Increased funding for fever tick eradication, flood control dam repairs, wildfire protection, tax exemptions for more Ag machinery and parts, increased penalties for cattle theft, incentives for the production of methane fuel, more veterinarians in rural/underserved areas through a loan repayment program, and improved protections of private property rights.
Educators
• An $800 pay raise, a $500 bonus for retirees, and guaranteed health insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions.
Health Professionals
• $50 million in financial aid and educational programs to address the shortage of nurses, more doctors in underserved areas through a physician loan repayment program, and better work environment protections for nurses.
State Employees
• An $800 bonus for state employees.
First Responders
• Health insurance options for survivors of officers killed in the line of duty, increased penalties for evading arrest, paid leave for appearing as witnesses in criminal/civil proceedings, paid tuition for relevant courses, and legislative leave for law enforcement officers and fire fighters.
80th SESSION
Representative Guillen worked on and/or was an Author of successful legislation that provided:Education
• $523 million for educator pay raises, $635 million for retiree bonus checks.
• $268 million to help build schools, $33 million for school technology equipment, and $2 million for library grants.
• $50 million for drop-out prevention, $146 million for student financial aid, end-of-course exams to replace the TAKS test, Texas Tomorrow Fund II to help families pay for college.
Health & Human Services
• $2.9 Billion to insure more families through Medicaid, $1 Billion to insure more kids through CHIP, and $150 Million for family dental treatment service vans.
• $3 Billion for cancer research.
Transportation
• If the Transportation Committee adopts rules that the owner of a vehicle must prove ownership or right of possession through an affidavit to the operator of a vehicle storage facility, the operator of the facility shall provide notary public service during business hours.
Public Safety
• $40 million for overtime pay for border area law enforcement, $17 million for vehicles/equipment for border area law enforcement, $23 million to hire 100 new border area DPS officers, $17 million for more border area helicopters, $7 million to build border area command centers, $1 million to hire 5 more border area Texas Rangers, and a 10% DPS pay raise.
• Address confidentiality program for victims of domestic violence and unemployment compensation eligibility for victims of domestic violence.
• Home loan program for correctional officers.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
• $182 Million to upgrade Texas parks and provide local park grants, $1.5 million to help food banks buy fresh produce from local farmers, and $3 million to hire fifteen new border Game Wardens.
• Tax cuts for tick quarantined land owners and $300 thousand for fever tick eradication research.
Economic Development
• $14 Billion property tax cut for Texas property owners, 4% pay raise for state employees, and a minimum wage increase.
• $250 Million for water/sewer infrastructure grants, $16 million for colonia paving grants, two-year moratorium on toll roads, $170 million to help low-income families pay their electric bills, and $5 million to help low-income families build/repair their homes.
• Passport option on Texas drivers license and tax exemption of one vehicle per individual.
Veterans Affairs
• Paid college education for children of fallen/disabled veterans/volunteer peace officers, exemption of government/hunting/fishing/concealed handgun license fees for veterans, and $13 million for veteran’s assistance services.
79th SESSION
Representative Guillen worked on and/or was an Author of successful legislation that provided:Public Health
• Restores mental health services, vision and dental benefits, and home health and hospice services for CHIP recipients to 2003 levels, and expands Medicaid to cover mental health prescription drugs.
• Creates the Duval and Starr Counties Groundwater Conservation Districts.
• Ensures managed care organizations create special disease management programs that will provide diagnosis and treatment for chronic kidney disease.
Education
• Allotted $25 million to the Instructional Facilities Allotment for new school construction grants and provides contracts for computer related educational materials.
• Allows governing boards of colleges and universities to permit students to pay tuition for a summer term in installments.
Public Safety
• Provided criminal penalties for the illegal use of traffic-control preemption devices, criminal penalties for providing contraband to inmates, prohibits people from using cell phones whiles operating busses, prohibits individual under 18 from operating a vehicle between midnight and 5a.m.
• Established a program to provide low-interest home loans to fire fighters and law enforcement officers.
Low-Income Aid and Relief
• Established a statewide system for identifying colonias and creates a system that monitors the progress of state-funded public health projects.
Economic Development
• Set maximum amount of a late charge or reinstatement fee under a rental-purchase agreement and increased funding for UT Austin's Bureau of Economic Geology.
Family Values
• Allowed a tenant to terminate his or her lease when he or she is subjected to family violence committed in the dwelling.
Military and Veterans
• Allowed for a tenant to terminate his or her lease if the person enters military service or is currently in the military and must permanently relocate or go on assignment, exempts veterans who have participated in the wars following 9/11 from the payment of all charges due to attending colleges, and provided $13 million in funds and 181 jobs to the Texas Veterans' Commission.
State Employees
• Increased the salaries of state employees by 4% for 2006 and 3% for 2007.
Cultural
• Designated Pan de Campo the official state bread of Texas.
78th SESSION
Representative Guillen worked on and/or was an Author of successful legislation that provided:County
• Granted Zapata County basic ordinance making power and allowed for a Duval County associate judge.
• Created a hotel tax that will promote tourism and allows counties to repair cattle guards on county roads.
Economic Development
• Allowed local municipalities to adopt an ad valorem tax limitation on homesteads of the elderly and spouses, limited the school taxes paid by disabled homeowners, and set aside funds for roadway development of certain colonias.
• Prohibited an insurer from holding any ownership interest in a repair facility and requires an insurer that holds ownership to divest itself of its interest.
Education
• $500 to teachers and $1000 to administrators for teachers insurance, allowed the Texas Workforce Commission to consult with national teacher pilot programs and submit status reports to the governor, and allowed for the reimbursement of teachers who are using personal funds to supply classrooms.
Military and Veterans
• Ensured employment preferences to veterans.
Public Health
• Provided training to anyone who wants to start a Diabetes self-help group and requires nurses to receive annual training in caring for people with dementia.
• Created the Kenedy Groundwater Conservation District.
Public Safety
• Option for Zapata county to decide if it wants to pay its sheriff's deputies more money and allows the Texas Department of Public Safety to negotiate CHL reciprocity agreements.
• Requires the Governor to develop a statewide homeland security strategy, created the Critical Infrastructure Protection Council, and created the Texas Infrastructure Protection Communications Center.
Committee Assignments
Representative Guillen has been on several important House committees throughout his political career. He was appointed Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in his second term. He has served on the following committees throughout the 78th, 79th, 80th and 81st Legislatures.78th Session
• Election Contests, Select
• Land and Resource Management
• Public School Finance, Select
• Regulated Industries
79th Session
• Appropriations
• Education, Select
• Election Contests, Select
• Financial Institutions (Budget and Oversight Chair)
80th Session
• Appropriations (Vice Chairman)
• Natural Resources
• Calendars
• Higher and Public Education Finance, Select
81st Session
• Border and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Oversight of Windstorm Insurance
• Transportation
• Transportation, Select
82nd Session
• Culture, Recreation and Tourism (Chair)
• Public Education
• Oversight of Windstorm Insurance
• Election Contest, Select
Election History
General Election 2010: HD 31| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 12,724 | 100 |
| No Opponent | -- | -- |
General Election 2008: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 24,170 | 100 |
| No Opponent | -- | -- |
General Election 2006: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 12,711 | 100 |
| No Opponent | -- | -- |
General Election 2004: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 20,052 | 100 |
| No Opponent | -- | -- |
General Election 2002: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 16,665 | 100 |
| No Opponent | -- | -- |
Democratic Primary Runoff Election 2002: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 8,162 | 61.32 |
| Adolfo Campero | 5,148 | 38.68 |
Democratic Primary Election 2002: HD 31
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Guillen | 9,246 | 38.75 |
| Adolfo Campero | 7,608 | 31.74 |
| Ignacio Salinas | 7,115 | 29.68 |