WHEREAS, California is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern biotechnology with emerging groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the early 1970s, including recombinant DNA and genetic engineering, which launched a new era of medicine and scientific innovation; and

WHEREAS, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of modern biotechnology and the 20th anniversary of the California Biotechnology Foundation, which are milestones reflecting decades of scientific advancement that transformed once theoretical concepts into lifesaving therapies and medical breakthroughs; and

WHEREAS, California’s life science sector has led the world in translating discovery into innovation and producing advances such as recombinant insulin, monoclonal antibody therapies, gene-editing technologies, cellular cancer treatments, and next-generation vaccines that have improved and extended millions of lives; and

WHEREAS, California’s life science industry, including California’s universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and small biotechnology companies, serves as a powerful economic engine for California by supporting more than 1,000,000 jobs, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity, and reinforcing California’s position as a global innovation leader; and

WHEREAS, The California Biotechnology Foundation was established in 2006 pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and outreach and serves as a trusted resource to policymakers and stakeholders on the value and impact of biotechnology; and

WHEREAS, For two decades, the California Biotechnology Foundation has worked collaboratively with state leaders to host educational briefings, convenings, and public forums that connect innovators with decisionmakers and promote informed discussions on health care policy and scientific advancement; and

WHEREAS, Since the California Biotechnology Foundation’s inception, remarkable breakthroughs have emerged, including the commercialization of CRISPR gene-editing tools enabling precise DNA changes, the advent of CAR T-cell therapies that revolutionized cancer treatment, and next-generation vaccines that helped end a global pandemic and accelerated vaccine science beyond what was once conceivable. These milestones have been driven by California’s vibrant life science ecosystem and underscore the state’s worldwide leadership in innovation; and

WHEREAS, As these dual anniversaries are celebrated and California’s life science industry enters the next era, the California Biotechnology Foundation reaffirms its mission to support innovation and inform legislative policies that translate scientific discovery into real therapies that improve and save lives, thereby ensuring that California’s continued leadership delivers economic growth, earlier diagnoses, and better outcomes for patients across the state and around the world; now, therefore, be it