(HB246)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 246.

This bill would effectively create a new legal standard applicable to just one criminal charge for a specific group of people, risking increased confusion and inconsistencies in the Commonwealth's legal system. I appreciate the challenge this bill is trying to address and recognize the difficult situations that individuals with mental illnesses, neurocognitive disorders, and intellectual or developmental disabilities – and their families – face in our justice system. And as such, my amendments to this legislation sought to uphold fairness and discretion in our criminal justice system while maintaining the bill's intended purpose.

The General Assembly rejected my amendments, but I look forward to working with the bill's patron and stakeholders to address this issue in the future.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.