VETO MESSAGE ON HB 1233-S

May 14, 2003

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 3, Substitute House Bill No. 1233 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to improving services for kinship caregivers;"

This bill requires the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to do more to promote kinship placements when children are placed in out-of-home care by the Children's Administration. It requires DSHS to develop more rigorous standardized kin search procedures, to seek grant funding to establish two pilot kinship care navigator projects to assist caregivers, and to establish a kinship care oversight committee.

Section 3 of the bill would have required DSHS to report to the Legislature and to the Governor regarding findings from the implementation of the two proposed pilot kinship care navigator projects. This is in addition to the report the bill requires from the kinship care oversight committee. I am concerned that this bill would create two new reporting requirements for DSHS at a time when we are seeking ways to reduce paperwork requirements in order to maximize limited staff resources. I have vetoed section 3, and I am directing DSHS to be prepared to instead brief the Legislature on the same topic.

For these reasons, I have vetoed section 3 of Substitute House Bill No. 1233.

With the exception of section 3, Substitute House Bill No. 1233 is approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary Locke

Governor