Jason Miyares

Jason Stuart Miyares (born February 11, 1976) is an American politician from Virginia. A Republican, he was elected a member of the Virginia House of Delegates on November 3, 2015. He currently represents the 82nd district which encompasses part of Virginia Beach. When the General Assembly is not in session, he is in private practice as an attorney.

Miyares was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended public schools in Virginia Beach. His family had fled from Cuba in 1965. Miyares earned a B.B.A. from James Madison University, and a law degree from William & Mary. He later served as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Virginia Beach.

Miyares was the Chief Patron of the Constitutional amendment HJ562, which provides a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled military veteran.

He is a member of the American Flood Coalition, and advocates for addressing sea level rise.

Miyares was the campaign manager for Scott Rigell in the 2010 Congressional election, when Rigell defeated incumbent Glenn Nye. Afterwards, he remained an advisor to Congressman Rigell and was a partner with the consulting firm Madison Strategies.

In 2015 Miyares ran for the Virginia House of Delegates seat being vacated by Bill DeSteph. Miyares was unopposed in the Republican primary on June 9. He defeated Democrat Bill Fleming in the general election in November. He was the first Cuban American elected to the Virginia General Assembly.

Education policy

Delegate Miyares is a strong believer of excellence in public education. Throughout his tenure in the General Assembly, every budget he voted for included an increase in funding for Virginia Beach public schools. Accordingly, Miyares voted for the most recently passed budget, which contained a 5% teacher pay raise and $85.7 million in new funding for Virginia K-12 education.

Additionally, Miyares is an advocate for college affordability, transparency, and quality. He sponsored two bills regarding higher education in 2019. The first, HB2173, mandates public institutions of higher education to establish an opportunity for the public to comment directly on tuition prices. The second, HB2620, requires educational programs for governing boards of public higher education institutions focused on their primary duty to the citizens of the Commonwealth, as well as overall student debt trends.

He is also a strong defender of helping aspiring children with special needs, as he is a board member of the Chesapeake Bay Academy, a private school for children in the Chesapeake Bay area with special needs. He has supported legislation in Autism and co-patroned HB2577, which extended the age of insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder to all ages.

Commission on Economic Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring and Diverse Communities

Delegate Miyares carried legislation in the 2016 Session (HB451) creating the Commission on Economic Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring and Diverse Communities. He now serves the serves as the Chairman of the commission. The goal is to open the barriers to economic opportunities for all Virginians and expand economic opportunities for Virginians in diverse communities.

Healthcare

Miyares voted against Medicaid expansion, HB5001, in the 2018 legislative session. The bill passed 68-30 in the House of Delegates with bipartisan support.

As a member of the General Assembly, Miyares was recognized by the Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust (PCAPT) as one of the Legislators of the Year for 2018 and 2019. From such legislation and continued work with veterans, Miyares was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Hampton Roads Military Officers Association of America in 2018. Delegate Miyares currently serves as a member on the Virginia Board of Veterans Services.

As a proponent of maintaining a healthy business climate in Virginia, Miyares was named a Virginia Chamber of Commerce Champion of Free Enterprise during the 2017 General Assembly.

Miyares has also been recognized for his work outside the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was featured in the Washington Post in an article highlighting his speech critiquing Governor McAuliffe's outreach to Cuba. He was also honored by The Jewish Community Relations Council for condemning the Anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, via his bill HJ177 in 2016.

Delegate Miyares continues to lead within the Republican Party and support the next generation of diverse conservative leaders as an Executive Committee Member in the Republican State Leadership Committee's Future Majority Project as of 2018.

Other awards and honors:

• Honored by the Hampton Roads Military Officers Association of America as "Legislator of the Year" in 2018 for his "outstanding and dedicated service" to Virginia's military veterans
• Honored as the 2018 and 2019 "Legislator of the Year" from the College Affordability and Public Trust for his work on transparency and affordability in higher education
• Honored by the Jewish Community Relations Council for work on HJ177 (2016) condemning Anti-Israel BDS
• Virginia Chamber Champions of Free Enterprise for 2017 General Assembly
• Best Male Latino Dancer for Virginia Beach SPCA Dancing for Paws
• Republican State Leadership Committee's Future Majority Project 2018 Executive Committee Member