Healthcare workers back Prop 38 for immunology research funding

California nurses, physicians and other medical advocates are urging voters to approve Proposition 38, which would direct $8.4 billion toward immunology research and future treatments for major diseases. Supporters say the measure could help speed new cures while setting spending controls and patient pricing rules.

Why it matters: - Proposition 38 would direct $8.4 billion toward immunology research aimed at preventing and treating cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease and other diseases that affect California families. - Supporters say the measure could help expand access to the next generation of immunotherapies and other treatments for conditions including Parkinson’s, diabetes, ALS, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. - The measure arrives as federal research funding uncertainty has slowed discoveries and halted at least 160 active clinical trials nationwide in 2025.

What happened: - California nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals are urging voters to vote yes on Proposition 38, the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative. - The American Nurses Association\California, Union of American Physicians and Dentists and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are part of a growing coalition backing the measure. - Chris Tarver, R.N., president of American Nurses Association\California, said her family has seen the benefits of immunotherapy after her mother’s lung cancer diagnosis. - R. Douglas Chiappetta, M.A., executive director of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, said sustained research investment is needed to expand treatment options for patients. - Neal Barnard, M.D., FACC, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said scientific research has improved care and will help create better options in the future. - Joseph Sabatino, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurology at UCSF, said federal dependability in biomedical research has been weakened by cutbacks, uncertainty and political motivations.

The details: - Prop 38 would fund immunology research intended to prevent and treat serious diseases. - The measure is designed to pay for itself. - Ten percent of proceeds from licensing immunotherapies would offset the measure’s total costs, including interest. - Any cure or immunotherapy developed under the measure would be provided to California patients at a 20% discount below the national average. - Prop 38 includes a 2% cap on state administrative expenses. - The measure requires public disclosure of spending. - The measure requires independent financial audits. - For-profit corporations would not be eligible for grant funding. - Supporters say immunotherapies already are successfully treating melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. - The coalition also points voters to YESon38.com for a coalition list and supporter statements.

Between the lines: - The measure frames medical research as a state-level response to uncertain federal funding. - Supporters are trying to connect the initiative to personal patient stories as well as broader scientific need. - The cost-recovery and discount provisions appear designed to make the initiative more politically defensible by emphasizing accountability and consumer benefit.

What’s next: - Supporters are asking Californians to vote yes on Proposition 38. - The campaign is directing voters to more information for coalition details and supporter comments. - The social media accounts listed by the campaign are active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X and Substack.

The bottom line: - Prop 38 is being sold as both a medical research investment and a patient affordability measure, with supporters arguing it could accelerate new treatments while keeping oversight tight.