VETO MESSAGE ON HB 2588-S2

                   March 22, 2000

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 as to section 10, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill No. 2588 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to domestic violence fatality reviews;"

     This bill establishes a statewide domestic violence fatality review program, to coordinate multi-disciplinary local reviews of deaths involving domestic violence.  The bill specifically provides that the program can operate only if funds are available to the Department of Social and Health Services for this purpose.  Section 10 would have made the bill "null and void" unless specific funding for its purpose, referencing the bill, is provided in the supplemental budget.

     As I act on this bill, the Legislature has not yet adopted a supplemental budget.  I expect that budget, when adopted, will include funding to implement the fatality review program the bill establishes.  However, some versions of the budget legislation do not reference this bill specifically, even though they include the necessary funding.  To avoid the possibility of nullifying this important legislation through inadvertent failure to refer to it in the supplemental budget, I have vetoed section 10.

     For these reasons, I have vetoed section 10 of Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill No. 2588.

     With the exception of section 10, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill No. 2588 is approved.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Gary Locke

                   Governor