Momentum Grows as Leading Neurodegenerative Disease Groups Say YES on Proposition 38

California’s Proposition 38 Offers a New Path Forward in Treatments and Cures for Parkinson’s, ALS and Frontotemporal Degeneration

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, leading neurodegenerative disease advocacy groups added their support for YES on Proposition 38, the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Parkinson’s Foundation, ALS Association, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, ALS Network and Parkinson Association of Northern California are part of a broad and growing coalition of more than 50 patient advocacy, medical and research organizations that back the measure and urge Californians to vote YES on Prop 38.

Prop 38 will provide $8.4 billion in vitally needed funding to advance breakthrough immunology medical research to help prevent and treat Parkinson’s, ALS, Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), in addition to cancer, heart disease and other persistent and debilitating diseases impacting nearly every California family.

“Hope is powered by science, and the scientific opportunities in front of us have never been greater,” said Dan Feehan, Chief Policy and Government Affairs Officer at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. “Prop 38 will help accelerate research that turns discoveries into breakthroughs for people living with Parkinson’s and many other diseases. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is proud to support Prop 38 and encourages Californians to vote yes in November.”

Immunotherapies harness the body’s immune system to recognize and stop disease and are already saving and extending lives for patients with melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. Research is showing how we can “clear out” the harmful plaques and abnormal protein buildup associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and slow the progression of ALS. Prop 38 will fund the next generation of that research, including work on how the immune system and the brain interact as disease develops.

“Emerging insights from immunology are reshaping how we understand ALS and where new treatments may come from,” said Melanie Lendnal, Executive Vice President and Chief of Advocacy at the ALS Association. “This measure is a critical step toward accelerating research that can meaningfully slow disease progression. For people living with ALS, time is the one thing they don’t have, making action like this not just important, but imperative.”

Prop 38 represents a new approach to medical research funding, creating a collaborative statewide network that combines competitive research grants with a world-class immunology institute designed to help turn discoveries into life-saving treatments and cures. Half of the funding will support competitive grants at California universities and nonprofit research institutions, while the other half will support a nonprofit immunology institute affiliated with the University of California that can bring together leading scientists, technology, laboratories, patients and clinical trials. The California Department of Public Health will select an eligible institute based on strict criteria. Prop 38 also requires collaboration among grantees so discoveries, expertise and best practices can be shared across institutions rather than siloed.

Uncertainty in federal research funding is slowing clinical trials and delaying discoveries at the exact moment this science has momentum.

“Frontotemporal degeneration takes a profound toll on individuals and families, and the need for therapeutic breakthroughs has never been more urgent,” said Meghan Buzby, Director of Advocacy and Volunteer Engagement at The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. “Investing in sustained scientific innovation brings vital momentum and hope to the thousands of individuals and families impacted by FTD.”

Prop 38 is designed to pay for itself. Ten percent of all proceeds from the licensing of immunotherapies must be returned to California to offset the measure's total costs, including interest. Additionally, any cure or immunotherapy developed will be provided to California patients at a 20 percent discount. Prop 38 also includes strict accountability requirements, including:

- Two percent cap on state administrative expenses
- Public disclosure of spending
- Independent financial audits
- For-profit corporations are not eligible for grant funding

Learn more at YESon38.com, including a full coalition list and what supporters are saying.

Robin Swanson
Yes on Prop 38
Press@YesOn38.com
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