BILL NUMBER:  SB 1630
  VETOED	DATE: 09/29/2004




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 1630 without my signature.

The illegal possession and use of performance enhancing steroids is
clearly prohibited and those existing laws should be strongly
enforced to their full extent, particularly given the apparent
heightened activity surrounding this dangerous practice.  However,
this bill focuses on performance-enhancing dietary supplements (PEDS)
instead of focusing on ensuring that students participating in high
school sports are not engaged in steroids use.

Furthermore, the technical definition of PEDS, as specified in the
bill, is unclear, open-ended and difficult to interpret, making
implementation problematic.  Developing a list of PEDS based on the
defined parameters will be a problem, since most dietary supplements
are safe, and neither the Department of Health Services (DHS) nor the
California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) will be able to make any
clear distinctions based on the criteria outlined in the bill.
Currently, the Food and Drug  Administration (FDA) regulates dietary
supplements.  While this bill requires the DHS and the CIF to develop
a list of PEDS to be used in regulating the participation of
students in high school sports, this activity is best left with the
FDA, which has a broader and deeper knowledge base to develop a
scientifically validated list of harmful PEDS.

However, because of the importance of this issue, I encourage the
Legislature to work with my Administration in developing a
cost-effective way to ensure school personnel are adequately trained
to identify and address the harmful effects of steroids use, so that
students can be well informed, and intervention involving parents and
coaches can be applied when appropriate.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger