In a groundbreaking move that could reshape the scientific research landscape, California lawmakers are proposing a massive $23 billion state science fund to combat devastating federal budget cuts. The proposed Senate Bill 607, also known as the California Science and Health Research Bond Act, aims to establish the state as the largest independent scientific research funder in the nation.

With proposed federal cuts threatening to slash funding for critical research areas like cancer, Alzheimer’s, infectious diseases, and climate science, California is stepping up to protect scientific innovation. The proposed foundation would provide grants and loans to universities, hospitals, and research companies across key domains including biomedicine, behavioral health, substance addiction, climate science, wildfire prevention, and pandemic preparedness.

State Senator Scott Wiener, a key proponent of the bill, emphasized the critical nature of this initiative: “Science is part of California’s DNA, and it is one of the key reasons why this state is the fourth-largest economy in the world”. The proposal comes in response to potential federal cuts that could reduce funding for the National Institutes of Health by 40%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by 44%, and the National Science Foundation by nearly 60%.

Personal stories underscore the human impact of these potential cuts. Ryan Manriquez, a UC Berkeley policy student living with spinal muscular atrophy, shared how public research dollars directly enabled his life-saving treatment. “If these funding cuts to research happened a decade ago, I would not be speaking in front of you here today,” he stated.

The initiative mirrors a previous successful effort, Proposition 71, which created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in 2004 after federal restrictions on stem cell research. Supporters believe the new measure could generate significant economic benefits, with previous research showing that every $1 invested in NIH funding generates $2.56 in economic activity.

With potential job losses already impacting research institutions like UC San Francisco, where over 300 layoffs have occurred, this state-level intervention could be crucial in maintaining scientific momentum and preventing brain drain. The proposed bill represents a bold statement of California’s commitment to scientific progress, innovation, and solving critical challenges facing humanity.