In an effort to protect thousands of local jobs, lifesaving clinical trials, and more than 1,700 active research projects at UC San Diego, Scripps Research, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego State University, and local startups, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today voted to support a proposed $23 billion state research bond to help counter sweeping federal cuts to scientific research and development. 

The proposed bond, SB 895, the California Science and Health Research Bond Act, would help protect California’s science and innovation economy at a time when the Trump Administration is cutting and suspending research funding that supports medical breakthroughs, public health, climate resilience, and thousands of good-paying jobs.

“San Diego is one of the world’s great engines of lifesaving medical research, and Trump’s reckless cuts are putting that at risk,” said San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. “Without this research, people will get sicker, clinical trials will disappear, cures will be delayed, and thousands of local jobs could be threatened. SB 895 gives California a way to fight back and protect the science economy that keeps San Diego healthy and strong.”

In a letter of support to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, UC San Diego Chancellor said faculty, students, staff researchers, clinicians, and patients of UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health support the bond measure after the Trump Administration cut hundreds of millions of dollars from UC San Diego alone.   

“Federal investments support critical work in areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular medicine, behavioral health, infectious disease, liver disease, and gene-therapy treatments for hearing loss,” wrote UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. 

San Diego County is one of the nation’s leading biomedical and life sciences hubs. The National Institutes of Health alone sends more than $1 billion annually to the region, supporting more than 1,700 active research projects at major universities, nonprofit research institutes, startups, and smaller research organizations. UC San Diego alone received an additional $350 million in federal research and development funding from non-NIH agencies in 2024.

The biomedical and life sciences industry supports more than 160,000 local jobs and contributes more than $54 billion to San Diego’s regional economy every year.

“When Washington cuts research funding, the damage does not stay inside a lab,” Lawson-Remer said. “Startups stall. Lab vendors lose contracts. Scientists leave the field. Patients lose access to clinical trials. And San Diego families pay the price.”

SB 895, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener, would create the California Foundation for Science and Health Research and authorize up to $23 billion in State of California General Obligation Bonds to fund grants, loans, and facilities for biomedical, environmental, agricultural, and clean energy research and development.

The bond would not take effect unless approved by California voters. The proposal includes annual independent audits reviewed by the State Controller, public disclosure of grant awards, and annual reporting on outcomes

SB 895 could support research in areas including:

• Lifesaving cures: Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, pediatric diseases, infectious disease, and other conditions that touch nearly every family.
• Behavioral health: Mental health, addiction treatment, and more effective models of care.
• Public health: Detection, prevention, and response to future outbreaks and pandemics.
• Climate and environment: Wildfire prevention, air quality, oceans, coastal and marine ecosystems, agriculture, and water.
• Healthcare affordability: Requirements that pharmaceuticals developed through bond-funded research be made available to California residents at a discount or at cost.

Economic reinvestment: A framework allowing the state to recoup a portion of licensing and royalty fees from inventions produced using bond-funded research and reinvest those dollars back into California.