Senator Debbie Smith

Assistant Majority Floor Leader
Party: Democratic

Legislative Service

  • Nevada Assembly, 2001-2002 and 2004-2011 (first elected November 2000; and after lapse in service, subsequently elected November 2004) - Speaker Pro Tempore, 2011; Assistant Majority Whip, 2007-2009
  • Nevada Senate (elected November 2012) - Chairman, Finance Committee and Assistant Majority Floor Leader, 2013-Present

Other Public Service

  • Board Member, Girl Scouts Sierra Nevada
  • Board Member, Nevada Afterschool Alliance
  • Consultant, Nevada Parent Teacher Association
  • Advisory Board, Northern Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation
  • Vice President, National Conference of State Legislatures
  • Autism Advocate, 2011
  • Past President, Nevada Parent Teacher Association
  • Former Chair, Council to Establish Academic Standards

Honors and Awards

  • Honor Award, American Lung Association in Nevada, 2012
  • Consumer Advocate of the Year, Nevada Justice Association, 2011
  • Director Award, Nevada Association of School Boards, 2011
  • Henry Toll Fellow, 2010
  • Public Education Hall of Fame, 2009
  • Elected Official of the Year, Disability Advocates
  • Public Official of the Year, Nevada Association of Social Workers
  • Legislator of the Year, School Counselor's Association
  • Crystal Apple Award, Clark County School District
  • Flemming Fellow, Class of 2002
  • Freshman Lawmaker of the Year, Peace Officers Research Association of Nevada, 2001
  • Life Member, National Parent Teacher Association
  • Mike O'Callahahn/United Way Teamwork Award

Affiliations

  • Yale Women's Campaign School, 2010
  • Western Legislative Academy, The Council of State Governments-WEST, 2002

Government

  • Past Member, Lander County School Board, National Parent Teacher Association Board of Directors, Sparks Charter Commission

Personal

Occupation: Retired
Recreation: Reading, Walking, Scrapbooking
Born: 1956 - Tucson, Arizona
Spouse: Greg Smith
Children: Olivia, Ian, Erin

Primary Sponsor

SJR5 Urges Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. (BDR R-697)
SCR5 Commemorates the 150th anniversary of the State of Nevada. (BDR R-613)
ACR5 Memorializes former Assemblyman John W. Marvel. (BDR R-1211)
SCR6 Memorializes former State Senator William J. Raggio. (BDR R-622)
SJR15 Urges Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform. (BDR R-1208)
AB85 Revises provisions governing certain purchasing contracts and consolidation agreements. (BDR 27-277)
AB86 Requires the State Contractors' Board to suspend or revoke the license of a contractor for failure to satisfy certain judgments concerning unemployment compensation or to comply with certain provisions governing industrial insurance and insurance for occupational diseases. (BDR 54-276)
AB87 Revises provisions relating to consistency in zoning ordinances with respect to certain standards and specifications for the construction or alteration of public schools in certain counties. (BDR 22-274)
AB89 Authorizes the formation of benefit corporations. (BDR 7-28)
AB109 Revises the qualifications and training required for certain persons who operate or are employed by a child care facility. (BDR 38-271)
AB114 Revises provisions governing interactive gaming. (BDR 41-97)
AB117 Revises provisions governing rules of the road. (BDR 43-566)
SB117 Revises provisions governing the powers of the Department of Taxation. (BDR 32-536)
AB138 Revises provisions governing the partial abatement of certain taxes. (BDR 32-113)
AB139 Revises provisions relating to the state business portal. (BDR 7-127)
SB141 Revises provisions governing the dissemination of records of criminal history. (BDR 14-881)
AB150 Creates the Legislative Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability. (BDR 17-739)
SB159 Declares the Legislature's support for a land exchange near the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. (BDR S-552)
SB165 Provides for transferable tax credits to attract film and other productions to Nevada. (BDR 32-781)
SB172 Provides a deduction from the payroll tax for newly hired full-time employees under certain circumstances. (BDR 32-537)
SB173 Makes appropriations to the Knowledge Fund. (BDR S-534)
AB181 Makes various changes to provisions governing employment practices. (BDR 53-48)
SB182 Expands full-day kindergarten in public schools. (BDR 34-138)
SB189 Revises provisions governing assault and battery. (BDR 15-917)
SB206 Revises provisions relating to food establishments. (BDR 40-935)
SB242 Revises provisions concerning brew pubs. (BDR 52-1065)
SB243 Revises provisions relating to genetic marker analysis. (BDR 14-137)
SB266 Revises provisions governing coverage for chemotherapy in a policy of health insurance or health care plan. (BDR 57-879)
SB293 Makes an appropriation to the Trust Account for the Education of Dependent Children. (BDR S-140)
AB300* Revises provisions governing foreclosures on property. (BDR 9-668)
SB301 Provides for assignment of property tax liens. (BDR 32-969)
SB304 Revises certain provisions of the Charter of the City of Sparks. (BDR S-136)
SB321 Enacts a “Homeowner's Bill of Rights.” (BDR 9-748)
SB344 Revises provisions relating to the education of certain children who are patients or residents of certain hospitals or facilities. (BDR 34-933)
SB345 Creates the Advisory Council on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. (BDR S-700)
AB345 Revises provisions governing the management of certain wildlife. (BDR 45-273)
SB357 Provides for tax credits for certain business entities. (BDR 18-478)
SB371 Prohibits a person from intentionally feeding any big game mammal under certain circumstances. (BDR 45-838)
AB374 Revises provisions relating to counties. (BDR 20-520)
SB377 Revises provisions relating to taxes on fuel. (BDR 32-930)
AB383 Revises provisions governing the Sunset Subcommittee of the Legislative Commission. (BDR 18-160)
AB390 Revises provisions governing the Knowledge Fund. (BDR 18-884)
SB393 Revises provisions governing the procedure for filling certain vacancies in a nomination. (BDR 24-535)
AB396 Revises provisions relating to the waters of this State. (BDR 26-763)
SB404 Revises provisions relating to business practices. (BDR 28-827)
SB405 Revises provisions relating to the submission of reports to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau and certain other persons. (BDR 17-541)
SB406 Revises provisions governing tourism improvement districts. (BDR 21-139)
SB407 Revises provisions governing the statewide performance evaluation system for teachers and administrators. (BDR 34-143)
SB408 Revises provisions governing state financial administration. (BDR 31-828)

Co-Sponsor

SCR2 Commemorates the 20th anniversary of the donation of precious art from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the people of the State of Nevada, reaffirms the sister-state relationship between the State of Nevada and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and celebrates the donation of additional artwork to the Nevada Legislature under the Nevada Senate's SENarts initiative. (BDR R-695)
SR4 Amends the Standing Rules of the Senate for the 77th Session of the Legislature. (BDR R-998)
ACR4 Honors Nevadans who have lost their lives in the Global War on Terrorism. (BDR R-246)
SR5 Inducts Sue Wagner into the Senate Hall of Fame. (BDR R-1204)
SR6 Inducts Bernice Mathews into the Senate Hall of Fame. (BDR R-1203)
ACR6 Expresses appreciation to the staff of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. (BDR R-1219)
AJR7 Urges recognition of the importance of mid-20th century architecture in Nevada. (BDR R-609)
SJR7 Proposes to amend the Nevada Constitution to preserve the right to hunt, fish and trap in this State. (BDR C-586)
SR7 Expresses appreciation to the staff of the Senate. (BDR R-1215)
SR8 Recognizes former State Senator Wilbur Faiss for his distinguished service to the State of Nevada and his exemplary life achievements. (BDR R-1216)
ACR8 Memorializes John J. McDonald. (BDR R-1231)
SJR9 Urges the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to expedite the process for approving special recreation permits for certain uses of federal public lands in Nevada. (BDR R-1008)
SCR10 Memorializes former University Regent Dorothy Gallagher. (BDR R-1238)
SB139 Expands provisions governing criminal and civil liability for certain crimes to include crimes motivated by the victim's gender identity or expression. (BDR 15-703)
AB152* Creates an advisory committee to develop recommendations for the funding of highways in this State. (BDR S-180)
SB164 Revises provisions governing safe and respectful learning environments in public schools. (BDR 34-454)
SB171 Provides for a program of matching grants to local governments for the maintenance and repair of public works. (BDR 43-621)
AB175 Revises provisions relating to uniformed-service and overseas voters. (BDR 24-635)
SB178 Authorizes the Nevada Silver Haired Legislative Forum to request the drafting of not more than one legislative measure for each regular session of the Legislature. (BDR 17-924)
SB192 Enacts the Nevada Preservation of Religious Freedom Act to prohibit governmental entities from substantially burdening the exercise of religion. (BDR 3-477)
SB299 Revises provisions governing falconry. (BDR 45-589)
SB303 Provides for the issuance of driver authorization cards. (BDR 43-596)
SB338 Changes the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability” in NRS. (BDR 39-52)
SB363 Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the Advisory Council on Diabetes Care, Prevention and Awareness. (BDR 40-90)
SB385 Authorizes certain businesses to apply to the Office of Economic Development for a partial abatement from certain taxes. (BDR 32-822)
SB410 Revises provisions governing hypodermic devices. (BDR 40-451)
SB412 Makes an appropriation to the Nevada System of Higher Education to allow senior citizens to audit college classes for a nominal fee. (BDR S-1048)