VETO MESSAGE ON SB 6225-S

March 26, 2004

To the Honorable President and Members,

The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 11, Substitute Senate Bill No. 6225 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to boarding homes;"

This bill improves laws governing the licensing of boarding homes, by supporting flexibility in the level of care provided by boarding homes while protecting residents' rights to quality care. It will refine extensive boarding home rule reforms being implemented in September.

Section 11 would have required the Department of Social and Health Services to conduct a study to determine potential financial impacts of these new rules and to determine the degree to which payments for boarding home services are related to the actual costs of providing services. This study would have largely duplicated a study currently underway, as required by Chapter 231, Laws of 2003. The proposed study in section 11 would have only covered an additional six months experience and therefore would not likely produce meaningfully different results.

Regretfully, the existing study is likely to have limitations, resulting from an inability to collect the needed data. To be valuable, such a study needs to address the complexities of data gathering in a manner that is statistically sound, yet sensitive to the boarding home industry's concerns regarding the proprietary nature of the data.

I recognize the merits of studying our boarding home payment system. Boarding homes provide services to support our state's vulnerable population. Therefore, I encourage the Legislature and industry to consider an alternative that will afford a more comprehensive approach.

For these reasons, I have vetoed section 11 of Substitute Senate Bill No. 6225.

With the exception of section 11, Substitute Senate Bill No. 6225 is approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary Locke

Governor