(HB2341)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2341, which requires the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to develop guidance on culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students.

The Commonwealth has already prioritized expanding mental health resources for students through the Right Help, Right Now initiative, which provides substantial investments in behavioral health services. This bill, however, introduces unnecessary bureaucratic mandates that duplicate existing efforts and create additional administrative burdens without demonstrating a clear benefit for students.

Additionally, the bill’s focus on cultural responsiveness could introduce subjective and divisive criteria into school-based mental health programming, conflicting with existing federal executive orders.

Given the bill’s redundancy, administrative burden, and potential to complicate rather than enhance student mental health services, it does not represent an effective policy solution.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.