SJR4 - Research and education: federal funding cuts: the National Institutes of Health and postsecondary educational institutions.

Senate Joint Resolution No. 4 CHAPTER 173 Relative to research and education. [ Filed with Secretary of State September 09, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SJR 4, Laird. Research and education: federal funding cuts: the National Institutes of Health and postsecondary educational institutions. This measure would urge the administration of President Donald J. Trump and the Congress of the United States to rescind the National Institutes of Health funding cuts. This measure also affirms the Legislature’s commitment to postsecondary educational institutions. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, In 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the main funder of biomedical research, awarded more than $35,000,000,000 in grants to more than 2,500 institutions. This funding is divided into “direct” costs, such as researcher salaries and laboratory supplies, and “indirect” costs, such as administrative and facility costs needed to support the work. Indirect costs can include electricity to operate sophisticated machinery, hazardous waste disposal, staff who ensure researchers follow safety rules, and janitorial workers; and WHEREAS, This investment of taxpayer dollars contributes over $69,000,000,000 to the United States’ gross domestic product each year, supports over 7,000,000 jobs, and has generated an enormous return to the American people in the form of millions of lives saved and tens of millions more years lived; and WHEREAS, NIH funding has contributed to research for approximately 99 percent of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, including heart medications; and WHEREAS, On February 7, 2025, the NIH made a significant reduction in grants reserved for research institutions and announced that it will now limit the amount granted for indirect funding, which helps cover institutions’ overhead and administrative expenses, to 15 percent. Indirect funding previously averaged nearly 30 percent and some universities received more than 60 percent; and WHEREAS, The indirect funding cap of 15 percent on negotiated rates for facilities and administrative costs associated with grants is arbitrary and threatens to undermine the progress of biomedical research and its far-reaching impact; and WHEREAS, The indirect funding cap of 15 percent is particularly concerning given the long­standing bipartisan support for the current system of negotiating facilities and administrative rates; and WHEREAS, California is the largest recipient of NIH funds in the nation, receiving over $5,000,000,000 in funding to the state’s public and private research institutions. In the 2023 fiscal year, the University of California received over $2,000,000,000 in NIH contract and grant funding, and, in the last audited year, the California State University received approximately $158,000,000 in NIH funds. As a conservative estimate, the proposed cut in NIH funding could result in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars; and WHEREAS, The NIH’s actions threaten ongoing studies and clinical trials and limit our ability to discover diagnostics, treatments, and cures, and to learn more about human health and disease, such as why patients in rural communities are dying of cancer at higher rates than those living in metropolitan areas; and WHEREAS, The indirect funding limit will strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover indirect expenses, including clinical trials of new treatments and basic lab research, for studying Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, among other illnesses; and WHEREAS, A group of 22 states and organizations representing universities, hospitals, and research institutions nationwide filed separate lawsuits to stop the cuts, saying they would cause “irreparable harm.” In February, United States District Judge Angel Kelley temporarily blocked the cuts and subsequently filed a preliminary injunction putting the cuts on hold while the lawsuits proceed; and WHEREAS, Several active research grants related to studies involving LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity, and diversity, equity, and inclusion are being canceled at the NIH because they do not meet the priorities of the administration of President Donald J. Trump. In February, letters were sent to researchers notifying them that their grants were being canceled because they did not fit with President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders; and WHEREAS, Millions of dollars in NIH grants for studying vaccine hesitancy and how to improve immunization levels are being canceled. This is particularly relevant work because of the measles outbreak in the southwest and diminishing vaccination rates; and WHEREAS, Nationwide scientists have begun receiving letters notifying them that their existing grants are being cut; and WHEREAS, More than 40 grants related to vaccine hesitancy have been canceled, and there is growing concern that research on Messenger RNA vaccines could be cut next; and WHEREAS, A skilled workforce is key to a thriving California economy. Strong and growing demand for highly educated workers has been a hallmark of the state’s economy for decades, and forecasts show this demand continuing into the future. If current trends continue, about 40 percent of jobs in California will require at least a baccalaureate degree by 2030; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That California has long invested in education and research and affirms its continued commitment to its postsecondary educational institutions; and be it further Resolved, That the California State Legislature is deeply concerned about the harm these changes will inflict on our state’s public and private institutions, the scientific community nationwide, the biotechnology industry, and patients awaiting new cures and treatments. The Legislature calls on the administration of President Donald J. Trump and the Congress of the United States to rescind the cuts and cease the attacks on our postsecondary educational institutions; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to the Governor, to the Attorney General, and to the author for appropriate distribution.