BILL NUMBER: AB 2072 VETOED DATE: 09/29/2010 To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 2072 without my signature. I appreciate the strong feelings from advocates on both sides of this issue. Parents, when first advised that their child has been identified with a hearing loss, are in need of information. It is in the parents' and the affected child's best interest to have information that is timely, appropriate, unbiased, and linguistically and culturally sensitive. This bill is an attempt to provide that type of comprehensive information. Unfortunately, the mechanism is through an advisory committee that is anything but unbiased. It's also an advisory committee that will not only duplicate efforts by other state programs and materials by nationally recognized and respected organizations, but it represents a significant workload that will require fiscal resources that cannot be spared. I do believe that our state's Newborn Hearing Screening Program, along with other state agencies and departments, already coordinate and work to provide the best programs for California children that are deaf or hard of hearing. This bill is unnecessary and potentially contradictory to those successful efforts. For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger