290 VETOES

would make in the financial responsibility laws for motor
vehicle operators. Under this Bill, the Department of Motor
Vehicles is required to suspend the license of every driver
convicted of any moving violation unless within ten days
after conviction he furnishes satisfactory evidence of finan-
cial responsibility. Since the Department receives approxi-
mately 35,000 conviction notices a month, of which 5,000
are for out-of-state convictions, the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles advises it would be impossible to comply with this
law without considerable additional personnel and probably
additional space, and there are no funds available in the
Department's budget to cover the increased costs which
would be imposed upon it. Furthermore, most of the notices
are not received within ten days after conviction, and
literal compliance by the Department with the requirements
of the Bill would be impossible.

It is my suggestion that the matter be considered by the
Legislative Council with a view to determining the costs
involved in the proposed system as compared with the num-
ber of uninsured drivers in the State, and a thorough review
made of the general advisability of such a bill. Since it in-
volves such a drastic change in the financial responsibility
laws of the State, all phases of the matter should be care-
fully explored in reaching a final decision.

Insofar as the Bill deals with minors involved in motor
vehicle violations, it is a duplication of Senate Bill 13, which
I have previously signed, and is, therefore, unnecessary.
Your attention is also called to House Bill 9 which I have
previously signed, and which substantially extends the field
of required coverage in two respects. First, drivers con-
victed of serious violations requiring suspension or revoca-
tion of a license will have to furnish evidence of financial
responsibility on a continuing basis rather than for three
years only. Secondly, drivers whose licenses are suspended
for failure to comply with the financial responsibility laws
of this State must not only arrange to dispose of the claim
against them; but must also furnish evidence of financial
responsibility for the future before a license can be re-
issued. The Commissioner advises that this change will
seriously tax his facilities for handling financial respon-
sibility matters, and any additional burden, as indicated
above, will, of necessity, require substantial additional ex-
penditures.

Yours very truly,

(s) THEODORE R. MCKELDIN,

Governor
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