| VETO MESSAGE ON EHB 2509 |
| March 30, 2012 |
| 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 2509 entitled: |
"AN ACT Relating to improving workplace safety and health by enacting the blueprint for safety program." |
| Engrossed House Bill 2509 would require the Department of Labor and Industries to expand its voluntary technical assistance pilot program, the Blueprint for Safety Program, to an additional region of the state. Engrossed House Bill 2509 further states that funding for this program cannot be appropriated from the medical aid fund or accident fund, but shall be implemented within existing resources. |
| The goal of the Blueprint for Safety Program is to improve employee safety and lower costs by assisting those employers for which the traditional safety and health model has not been effective. This goal is laudable, and I will direct the Department to continue its work in this area. However, combining a mandated expansion of this labor-intensive program with restrictions on use of the medical aid fund or accident fund is problematic. These limits on funding sources could cause significant reductions in several important ongoing programs supported by other funds. Also, these limits would decrease the Department's ability to ensure federal matching funds are not put in jeopardy. |
| This bill contains a single section that both expands the Blueprint for Safety Program and restricts use of resources. |
| For this reason I have vetoed Engrossed House Bill 2509 in its entirety. |
| Respectfully submitted, |
| Christine Gregoire |
| Governor |