FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2026

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation: Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Research. Initiative Statute.

Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., announced that the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures on January 2, 2026.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent(s) and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides a calendar of deadlines to the proponent(s) and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Authorizes $8.4 billion in state general obligation bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research (technologies that use body’s immune system to treat disease), allocated equally between (1) a University of California-affiliated nonprofit medical research institute selected by the California Department of Public Health based on specified criteria, and (2) a grant program for public or nonprofit universities and institutions. Requires half of research money go to cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease research. Requires funding recipients to sell technology and drugs derived from research in California for 20% below national average price. Appropriates money from General Fund to repay bonds. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state costs of about $500 million annually for 25 years to repay the bonds. The state could recoup part or all of this cost in subsequent decades if the funded research leads to discoveries that generate revenue, though this is uncertain. (25-0026A1.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 2006 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 25-0026A1.

The proponent of the measure, Gary K. Michelson, must collect signatures of 546,651 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2022 general election) in order for the measure to become eligible for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than July 1, 2026. The address for the proponent is c/o Lance H. Olson, Aaron D. Silva, and Benjamin Gevercer, Olson Remcho, LLP, 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814. The proponent may also be contacted at (916) 442-2952, lolson@olsonremcho.com, asilva@olsonremcho.com, and bgevercer@olsonremcho.com.

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