During the
Seventy-ninth Texas Legislature (2005), Deuell passed legislation to help ensure
firefighters and other first responders who contract diseases in the line of duty receive the benefits they deserve (Senate Bill 310), created a statewide
stroke emergency plan with the Texas Stroke Act (Senate Bill 330), authorized a medical dispatch program for rural areas (Senate Bill 523) and set up a
Medicaid buy-in program for the working disabled (Senate Bill 565). Deuell also worked to ensure passage of bills dealing with issues such as education, transportation, lawsuit reform and family issues. In the
Eightieth Texas Legislature Senator Deuell was tapped by Lt. Governor
David Dewhurst to carry
Jessica's Law legislation, aimed at protecting society's most vulnerable population from child predators.
Governor Rick Perry signed this bill into law on July 17, 2007. Deuell also worked to advance issues as diverse as
Medicaid reform and incentives programs to attract film and television production to Texas. For his work in this Session, Deuell was named as one of
Texas Monthly's Best Legislators. In 2013, Deuell co-authored legislation that would require abortion providers to abide by the same regulations as ambulatory surgical centers. Critics characterized the bill as a
TRAP law that would enact a "virtual ban on abortion in Texas." == Leadership while in Senate ==