Lawmakers and researchers urge Assembly to advance $ bond for science and health research

Sen. Wiener urged the Assembly Appropriations Committee to send SB 895, the California Science and Health Research Bond, to the Assembly floor so voters can decide on a bond to shore up state research funding. Senator Wiener said, “Government funded research is not optional,” arguing recent federal reductions have stopped critical studies and prompted a brain drain.

In a brief presentation, Assemblymember Slattery, a principal coauthor, framed the bond as an economic and public‑health investment, saying the measure would protect jobs and research infrastructure and asked colleagues to help place the bond on the ballot before the deadline to authorize bonds.

Researchers testified at length. Koen van Roempey, a UC Davis researcher, described federally funded primate research that underpinned HIV treatments and said federal support has “plummeted,” forcing labs to close or downsize. Cynthia Larive, chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz, told the committee the University of California receives about $5,700,000,000 in federal research funding each year and warned that instability threatens the state’s research enterprise and its contribution to the economy.

More than a hundred members of the public — graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, union leaders (including many from UAW Local 48 11 and CAPS/UAW locals), and patient advocates — spoke in support during an extended public‑comment period. Testimony repeatedly cited stalled grants, risks to clinical and translational research (including work on Parkinson’s and rare diseases), and the economic impact on university communities. Gary Messing, a retired attorney and Parkinson’s patient, asked the committee to support the bill, noting advances in care that depend on sustained research funding.

Chair Wicks said the item was being held on the committee’s suspense calendar and explained that, like other bond measures, SB 895 will require a three‑party agreement among the governor, the Senate pro tem and the Assembly speaker to move from suspense to the floor. Committee members praised the bill and several asked to be added as coauthors. The hearing record shows the bill was placed on the suspense calendar, with the chair noting public testimony would be recorded for consideration if a three‑party deal materializes.

Next steps: SB 895 remains on the committee’s suspense file; committee members said it can move out of suspense if the necessary three‑party agreement is reached. The committee did not vote to send the bill directly to the floor during this hearing.