Senate Passes Science Bond by Senator Wiener

In addition to significantly expanding California’s scientific research capacity, the bill includes first-in-the-nation requirements to lower health costs by requiring discounts on drugs discovered with public research funding, and allowing the state to recoup some funds from successful discoveries.

SACRAMENTO – The Senate voted 29-9 to pass SB 895, bipartisan legislation to authorize a $12 billion bond for the November 2026 ballot to fund scientific research in California. In the face of unprecedented federal cuts to scientific research, SB 895 establishes the California Foundation for Science and Health Research to fund research grants, loans, and facilities for research into health, agriculture, pandemic threats, wildfire resilience, and more. The bill protects scientific advances that provide a lifeline for millions of Californians struggling with conditions that may soon be treatable, and that power major components of California’s economy. The bill heads next to the Assembly ahead of the June 25 deadline to qualify for the November ballot.

“In the face of MAGA’s senseless destruction of our federal science agencies and cuts to scientific research, California must stand up and defend the research that powers our state,” said Senator Wiener. “Science is how we heal the sick, feed the hungry, and build the future - and nowhere does it better than California. I’m incredibly proud of the overwhelming support this measure has received in the Senate, and together with an incredible coalition, I look forward to carrying this momentum forward in the Assembly to put the bond on the November ballot.”

SB 895 includes groundbreaking requirements to make health care more affordable for Californians and ensure profitable discoveries reinvest some funds back in California. The measure does so in three main ways:

• Makes pharmaceuticals developed through this research available to Californians at a discount; 
• Allows the state to recoup a portion of licensing and royalty fees from inventions and technologies produced as a result of bond-funded research; and
• Allows California to publicly produce pharmaceuticals invented with bond-funded research via CalRx in order to sell them at cost to Californians and for profit to other states.

The bill is sponsored by United Auto Workers, University of California, and Union of American Physicians and Dentists. SB 895 is joint authored by Senators Pérez and Wahab and principal co-authored by Assemblymembers Solache, Jr., Gipson, Irwin, Muratsuchi, Patel Ph.D. Thirty-one members of the Legislature are co-authoring it.

Scientific research powers a massive share of California’s economy in industries ranging from biotech, agriculture, software, higher education, and more. The life sciences industry alone supports 1.15 million jobs and $395.7 billion in economic output.

The return on public investment in scientific research is tremendous: For every dollar invested in National Institutes of Health research there is a return of approximately $2.50 in economic activity. 

California contributes an astonishing share of the world’s scientific advancements, making the state an international leader in scientific progress. The University of California is the top research institution in the world for U.S. patent generation. The state accounts for 47% of U.S. biotechnology research and development spending, and generates 53% of the nation’s biotech revenues. Research at the University of California alone has made foundational contributions to the invention of:

• the internet
• the gene editing technology CRISPR
• Chloroforocarbons that cause the hole in the ozone
• the first modern AI algorithms
• Viagra
• high-yield rice varieties that supply food to tens of millions of people
• treatment that saves the lives of 90% of premature babies
• treatments for 30 million Americans with genetic diseases

This progress is under threat. In 2025, the federal government froze or suspended $584 million in grants to UCLA and demanded $1 billion in fines—jeopardizing thousands of life-saving projects. Research areas at risk include cancer treatment, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, HIV/AIDS, pandemic preparedness, climate science, and earthquake and wildfire safety:

SB 895 is coauthored by:

• Senator Pérez (Joint)
• Senator Wahab (Joint)
• Assemblymember Solache (Principal Co-Author)
• Assemblymember Gipson (Principal Co-Author)
• Assemblymember Irwin (Principal Co-Author)
• Assemblymember Muratsuchi (Principal Co-Author)
• Assemblymember Patel Ph.D. (Principal Co-Author)
• Senator Allen
• Senator Becker
• Senator Blakespear
• Senator Caballero
• Senator Cervantes
• Senator Cortese
• Senator Durazo
• Senator McNerny, Ph.D.
• Senator Padilla
• Senator Reyes
• Senator Richardson
• Senator Rubio
• Senator Stern
• Senator Umberg
• Senator Weber Pierson, M.D.
• Assemblymember Addis
• Assemblymember Ahrens
• Assemblymember Avila-Farias
• Assemblymember Bennet
• Assemblymember Caloza
• Assemblymember Calderon
• Assemblymember Carillo
• Assemblymember Connolly
• Assemblymember Ellis
• Assemblymember Garcia
• Assemblymember Mark González
• Assemblymember Haney
• Assemblymember Harabedian
• Assemblymember Hoover
• Assemblymember Ortega
• Assemblymember Petrie Norris
• Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez
• Assemblymember Blanca Rubio
• Assemblymember Schiavo
• Assemblymember Schultz
• Assemblymember Stefani
• Assemblymember Wallis
• Assemblymember Ward
• Assemblymember Zbur

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