The UC sponsored a California bill Thursday that would put a $23 billion bond for research funding on the November 2026 ballot.

Senate Bill 895, if passed, would establish the California Foundation for Science and Health Research – which will fund competitive research grants, loans and research facilities. The foundation would distribute the $23 billion – accumulated through the sale of state bonds – to research projects.

[Related: Senate Bill 895 seeks to establish $23 billion research fund amid federal cuts]

The bill comes amid President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal research funding across the country.

The federal government froze more than $584 million in UCLA’s research funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and United States Department of Energy in late July, alleging that the university allowed antisemitism, illegal affirmative action and “men to participate in women’s sports.” A federal judge restored the majority of the funds through temporary injunctions in August and September.

[Related: Federal Funding Cuts to UCLA]

UC President James Milliken said in a Jan. 8 statement that $230 million in federal research grants remain suspended or terminated across the University. He added that there are federal caps on grant submissions, which have made it difficult for UC researchers to obtain funding.

The University receives $5.7 billion in federal research funding each year, Milliken said in a September letter to State Sen. Scott Wiener, adding that recent funding losses are a major threat to the system.

“University research has been under sustained attack over the past year,” Milliken said in a Thursday UC press release. “This bill aims to protect the remarkable advances benefiting millions of Californians now and in the future. We are proud to cosponsor this bill and will always stand up for science.”

The state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom must approve the bill before it can appear as a ballot measure in November.

The bill’s contents were originally introduced under Senate Bill 607 in September. One of the bill’s authors – Wiener – said in a January press conference that he introduced the bond under SB 607 to spark discussion about it before the end of last year’s legislative session.

“As the federal government upends science funding, California must stand up to defend science and to double down on our state’s global science leadership,” Wiener said in the Thursday press release. “Science makes California great in so many ways, from helping cure diseases, to helping prevent climate driven wildfires, to driving our economy.”

Wiener added in the press release that the UC is central to California’s scientific innovation, and he is proud to have the University’s support on the bill.

The bill is also co-sponsored by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists and United Auto Workers Region 6 – which represents workers in western states across a wide range of workplaces, including universities and hospitals.

If the ballot measure passes, California residents will get discounts on pharmaceutical products that are developed with support from SB 895, according to the press release. The bill will also allow for California to regain some licensing and royalty fees on profitable findings produced using funding from the bond.

“As the nation’s top public research institution, UC plays a central role in California’s innovation ecosystem,” the press release said. “It leads to life-changing solutions that benefit everyone – from the smartphone in your pocket to the food on your plate to the medicine in your cabinet.”