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Biocom California Advocates for Local and Federal Policy in D.C.; Updates on Recent Changes Coming from Washington; San Francisco’s Rezoning Plan; Fire Recovery in Altadena; and more.
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Biocom California CEO Advocates for Industry in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, Biocom California President & CEO Tim Scott traveled to Washington, D.C. to champion the interests of our members during a critical time marked by federal layoffs and new tariff developments. Alongside our federal policy team, he met with key California Representatives—including Scott Peters (D-50), Kevin Mullin (D-15), Dave Min (D-47), and Derek Tran (D-45)—to advocate for the federal support necessary to sustain and grow our state’s thriving innovation ecosystem. Tim also participated in our in-person Federal Policy Committee meeting, engaging directly with members to better understand and elevate their policy priorities. And as part of the Council for State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) fly-in, we connected with fellow state association leaders and held strategic conversations with senior representatives from BIO, PhRMA, AdvaMed, and the Personalized Medicine Coalition. Read the full recap.
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Biocom California staff meeting with Representative Dave Min (left); on Capitol Hill (center); and Representative Derek Tran (right).
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Advocating for Our Members
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Federal ► More Changes Coming from Washington, D.C.
- Earlier this month, HHS terminated an additional 10,000 HHS employees, including 3,500 at FDA, 2,400 at CDC, 1,200 at NIH, and 300 at CMS, as part of large-scale reductions in force. A massive reorganization was also announced that would combine several agencies.
- The Department of Commerce issued two Notices of Request for Public Comments to investigate the national security effects of imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. These notices come just days after President Trump announced forthcoming pharmaceutical tariffs and a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.
- Yesterday, President Trump issued a Drug Pricing Executive Order targeting the Medicare Drug Negotiation Program, 340B and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), among others.
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State ► Bipartisan Bills Tackle Healthcare, Public Safety and ADA Reform
- Out of 2,278 bills introduced in 2025, only 11 had bipartisan lead authors, reflecting deep political divisions despite shared policy concerns.
- Notable collaborations include bills expanding Medi-Cal training, increasing penalties for impersonating emergency personnel, ADA compliance reform, and shifting ballot summary authorship from the Attorney General’s Office to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
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San Diego ► Biocom California San Diego Policy Goes to Washington, D.C.
- This week, Biocom California joined the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce annual delegation trip to Washington DC, when local decision makers and business leaders travel to the nation’s capital to advocate for San Diego’s interests.
- Our meetings on capitol hill focused on NIH funding, staffing at federal agencies and tariffs.
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Bay Area ► San Francisco Rezoning Plan Unveiled
- Mayor Daniel Lurie’s new zoning memo proposes taller, denser housing near transit to address a 36,200-unit housing shortfall. If passed, it would mark San Francisco’s biggest zoning shift since 1978, aiming for 82,000 new units and greater housing equity.
- Biocom California advocates for more middle-income housing to support life science industry employees.
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- The LA County Board of Supervisors approved a Unified Permitting Authority (UPA) to speed up rebuilding after the Eaton Fire, which destroyed over 7,000 structures.
- The UPA will streamline approvals, cut red tape and assign senior officials to Altadena’s One-Stop Center, ensuring faster, more equitable recovery and greater accountability across county departments.
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Federal:
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State:
- California lawmakers are reviving ADA lawsuit reform with bipartisan backing, aiming to shield small businesses from predatory legal claims.
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San Diego:
- Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre will head to a runoff election for District 1 Supervisor on July 1.
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Receive more policy news specific to your region by subscribing to our weekly Bay Area, San Diego or Greater Los Angeles newsletters.
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Upcoming Committee Meetings and Events
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Biocom California Advocacy
Biocom California is the largest, most experienced leader and advocate for California’s life science sector. Our public policy staff is strategically located in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. We work with federal, state, and local governments to collectively pursue outcomes that benefit regional life science growth and contribute to a more innovation-friendly state.
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