GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 1420, which establishes the age of a delinquent child.

Although this bill purports to protect juveniles under eleven by preventing them from being charged with delinquency, some youth under age eleven who might otherwise receive delinquency adjudication for an offense may lose access to Department of Juvenile Justice funding for mental health and counseling services, following a delinquency determination.

Additionally, a court would lose the ability to require restitution that could benefit victims of acts committed by children under eleven.

Finally, the proposal serves as an additional incentive for criminal street gangs to continue the heinous practice of recruiting children younger than eleven years old to carry out gang-related offenses.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.