California caregivers back Proposition 38 to fund immunology research

Caregivers across California are backing Proposition 38, a ballot measure that would direct $8.4 billion to immunology research for cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and other diseases. Supporters say the plan could speed treatments and cures while creating a statewide research network with built-in accountability.

Why it matters: - Proposition 38 would steer $8.4 billion toward immunology research aimed at preventing and treating cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and other persistent diseases. - Supporters say the measure could speed new treatments for families facing diseases including Parkinson’s, diabetes, ALS, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. - More than 6.4 million Californians are caring for a loved one, and many are doing so without pay and with financial strain. - Caregivers backing the measure argue that faster research could matter when time is the most limited resource.

What happened: - California caregivers endorsed YES on Proposition 38, also called the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative, on Sept. 28, 2026. - The caregivers joined a coalition of more than 60 patient advocacy, medical and research organizations supporting the measure. - Bhavika Taunk, a Danville resident, said her experience navigating her son’s leukemia treatment and a complex immune condition showed the promise and gaps in immunology. - Viva Mogi, a Los Angeles caregiver for her mother with Alzheimer’s, said the measure is about getting researchers the resources to make new treatments arrive sooner. - R. Bernard Coley, a Morgan Hill care partner for his wife with Parkinson’s, said families need better diagnoses, more treatments and ultimately cures.

The details: - Prop 38 would fund immunotherapies, which use the body’s immune system to prevent and treat disease. - The release says immunotherapies are already successfully treating melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. - Half of the funding would go to competitive research grants at California universities and nonprofit research institutions. - The other half would support a nonprofit immunology institute affiliated with the University of California. - The institute would bring together scientists, technology, laboratories, patients and clinical trials. - The measure is framed as a new statewide research funding model built around collaboration. - Roughly 23% of California adults are caregivers, and nearly three-quarters of those caregivers receive no pay. - Forty-eight percent of California family caregivers report at least one negative financial impact, including depleted savings or increased debt. - Fifty-nine percent balance caregiving with paid work, often at the cost of income and long-term security. - The campaign says Prop 38 would pay for itself. - Ten percent of proceeds from licensing immunotherapies would be returned to California to help 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. - The measure includes a 2% cap on state administrative expenses. - Prop 38 requires public disclosure of spending. - Independent financial audits would be mandatory. - For-profit corporations would not be eligible for grant funding. - More information is available at YESon38.com, including a full coalition list and supporter statements.

Between the lines: - The measure is being pitched as both a research investment and a caregiver policy issue, tying scientific funding to the daily burdens of unpaid care. - The focus on an affiliated University of California institute suggests supporters want the ballot measure to create a lasting research infrastructure, not just one-time grants. - The emphasis on financial controls appears aimed at reassuring voters that the funding mechanism would be tightly managed. - Supporters are also making a timing argument, saying federal funding uncertainty is slowing clinical trials and biomedical hiring. - The release says at least 160 active clinical trials nationwide were affected by the termination of NIH grants in 2025. - It also says California universities have begun curtailing biomedical research and delaying hiring as federal grants were terminated or withheld.

What's next: - Supporters will continue campaigning for a YES vote on Proposition 38. - The campaign is directing voters to its website for coalition details and supporter commentary. - If approved, the measure would channel funding into grants and the University of California-affiliated institute to advance research toward treatments and cures.

The bottom line: - Prop 38 is being sold as a way to accelerate immunology breakthroughs while giving caregivers and patients a bigger stake in how California funds medical research.