Governor Ferguson's explanation:
Section 203(2)(c), pages 164-165, Department of Social and Health Services, Community Dental Services at Residential Habilitation Centers
This section requires the Department of Social and Health Services to develop a pilot program, in collaboration with the Health Care Authority, for individuals with developmental disabilities to access dental services at the state-run residential habilitation centers. Two of the four residential habilitation centers are expected to close once the census reaches a certain threshold, making this only a temporary solution to a long-term barrier to community services. For this reason, I am vetoing Section 203(2)(c).
However, I acknowledge that individuals with developmental disabilities experience extraordinary barriers to receiving dental services and believe that a long-term solution needs to be explored. Therefore, I am directing the Department of Social and Health Services and the Health Care Authority, in partnership with representatives from the dentistry profession, to continue to develop a plan to expand access to dental services for individuals with developmental disabilities in the community. This plan must align with the state’s commitment to community-based living by exploring sustainable solutions for providers in the same communities in which these clients reside.