GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 399, which seeks to direct the Virginia Department of Health to convene a work group to develop a plan for implementing a program for screening infants born in the Commonwealth for critical congenital cyanotic heart disease.

While I commend the affected stakeholder and the Virginia Department of Health for working diligently together on a grant application for funding to implement screening for critical congenital heart disease, legislation is simply not needed for the creation of a work group.  In accordance with my efforts to reform state government to reduce the number of boards, commissions and work groups that continue in perpetuity through legislative enactments, I veto House Bill 399.

I believe House Bill 399 seeks to address an issue that deserves attention.  As such, the Virginia Department of Health has an existing work group planning the implementation of appropriate early intervention services to infants identified as having critical congenital cyanotic heart disease.  The goal of early intervention services will be to reduce rates of death or disability among such children.  The plan shall also provide for implementation of a program for screening infants for critical congenital cyanotic heart disease through the use of pulse oximetry monitoring in all hospitals providing maternity services in the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Health will submit a report on the status of the work group to my Chief of Staff, Martin Kent, through the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, William A. Hazel, Jr., M.D., by December 1, 2012.  A copy of the report will be sent to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.