Elliott Naishtat

Elliott Naishtat (born February 15, 1945) is an American Democratic politician. He is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 49th District, having served from 1991 until January 2017. Considered a liberal legislator, Naishtat focused on having a positive effect on health and human services, particularly the needs of low- and moderate-income people. Volunteering with VISTA in Johnson's War on Poverty, he was sent to Eagle Pass, Texas, where he organized residents to improve streets and access to water, but as he observed later, "we didn't eliminate poverty."

Texas legislator

In November 1990, Naishtat was elected to the District 49 seat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Two of Naishtat's most notable bills were the Nursing Home Regulatory Reform Act, which garnered national publicity, and the Medicaid Simplification Act, which enabled tens of thousands of children to get on Medicaid. He has also been named Legislator of the Year by the Texas Apartment Association and one of Texas' Outstanding Public Servants by the Consumers Union, Public Citizen, Gray Panthers, and Texas Citizen Action.