(SB949)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 949, which establishes definitions related to tribal recognition and makes technical updates throughout the Code of Virginia to reflect the federal recognition of Virginia tribes.

While the intent to ensure consistency in terminology across the Code is appropriate, the bill includes language referring to a "government-to-government" relationship between the Commonwealth and federally recognized tribes. This phrase introduces a legal framework that does not align with Virginia's current statutory or constitutional structure and may have unintended implications for the Commonwealth's legal and financial responsibilities.

To address this concern and allow the many other updates in this bill to be enacted this year, I proposed a targeted amendment to remove the "government-to-government" designation, which the General Assembly declined to adopt. Without this change, the legislation poses serious risks to ongoing litigation.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.