Alex Lee

Existing law, the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, creates the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program within the University of California and authorizes the university to establish a spinal cord injury research fund, independent of the State Treasury, to accept public and private funds for purposes of spinal cord injury research, as specified.

This bill would appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the spinal cord injury research fund authorized by the above act, to be spent at a rate of $1,000,000 per year, without regard to fiscal year, commencing with the 2026–27 fiscal year.

Existing law, the California Stem Cell Research, Treatments, and Cures Bond Act of 2020, added by initiative measure enacted by the voters by Proposition 14 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, authorizes the state to sell a specified amount in general obligations bonds primarily for the purposes of stem cell research and the development of new medical treatments.

If Proposition 14 funding is obtained for the purpose of funding a spinal cord injury research project, as provided, this bill would authorize the university to deposit those funds in an established specified spinal cord injury research fund.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.