Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly Félix Ortiz currently serves as a member of the Ways and Means, Rules, Corrections and Labor Committees. He is the past chair of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and is an active member of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. Throughout his tenure Ortiz has served as Chair of Cities, Mental Health, Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and Veterans Affairs Committees. In 1994, during his first week in office, he set out to address the human rights violations and unjust treatment of sweatshop workers.

 

In 2001, Ortiz led the fight to create New York’s first statewide Child Obesity Education Program law to ensure that nutritionally based education programs are part of classroom curricula. In 2004, he passed a law to create five eating disorder centers across the state to help those who suffer from illnesses including anorexia and bulimia. Ortiz is nationally and internationally recognized as an elected official who is not afraid to tackle unpopular issues and forge solutions on behalf of the people he represents. His cutting edge legislation aims to not only improve the health and well-being of children, families and immigrants of New York State, but the health and well-being of the people of the United States of America.