VETO MESSAGE - No. 78
TO THE SENATE:
I am returning herewith, without my approval, the following bill:
Senate Bill Number 4991-B, entitled:
"AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the clinical information resource access program"
NOT APPROVED
This bill would authorize the Department of Health ("DOH"), in consul-
tation and cooperation with the State University of New York ("SUNY")
and the Board of Regents, to enter into contracts on behalf of New York
State institutions of higher education and medical facilities to provide
electronic and print medical resources related to clinical practice.
Such information would be made available to participating institutions,
health care practitioners and medical facilities designated by DOH, with
significant savings. The costs of the licensing agreements negotiated
would ultimately be borne by the participating institutions and facili-
ties on a pro rata basis.
Unfortunately, this bill would require DOH to divert its resources
from its other statutory mandates. There is no appropriation in this
legislation to cover start-up and other related costs for administering
the program. Therefore, we must instead find alternative ways for the
latest clinical research and information to be made available to medical
facilities across the State. To that end, by this message I have asked
the Commissioner of Health to continue to work to find such alternatives
that may be executed without incurring new and substantial costs.
The bill is disapproved. (signed) Andrew M. Cuomo