VETO MESSAGE ON HB 1456

                   May 18, 1993

To the Honorable Speaker and Members,

  The House of Representatives of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval Engrossed House Bill No. 1456 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to self-insured employers;"

     This bill would give self-insured employers the right to close certain industrial insurance claims if the Department of Labor and Industries has not intervened because of a dispute and the injured worker has returned to work with the self-insured employer at the previous job or a job that has comparable wages, benefits, and permanency.

     Because of concern over the meaning of the word "permanency" in the context of the bill, self-insured employers have indicated that they will not close any claim, thereby rendering the bill useless.

     For this reason, I have vetoed Engrossed House Bill No. 1456 in its entirety.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Mike Lowry

                   Governor