BIOSECURE Act Passes House of Representatives

This year has seen an increase in Congressional activity toward prohibiting federal funding that benefits certain Chinese biotechnology service providers. These efforts have primarily translated to legislation called the BIOSECURE Act (H.R. 8333), which prohibits federal agencies from procuring or obtaining equipment or services from specific companies and developing a list for similar companies going forward. The bill also forbids using grant or loan funds with any entity covered by the ban either directly or via a third party. This bill has the potential to impact many Biocom California members.


Biocom California has not taken a position on the bill due to a lack of consensus among our members, but supports the national security objectives while also working with Congress to ensure our members’ supply chains are not abruptly disrupted. Part of that effort has been to ensure the bill retains a grandfathering clause, which provides for a wind-down period until January 2032 for existing contracts.


On September 9, the House of Representatives passed the BIOSECURE Act by a vote of 306-81, with 44 not voting. The Senate has expressed similar interest in this bill and they are considering adding it to their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We will continue to engage on this legislation with Congress, our partners and our members as it moves through the legislative process and continue to provide updates to our members.

Biocom California Hosts FDA CBER Director Dr. Peter Marks

On August 22, Biocom California hosted FDA CBER Director Dr. Peter Marks at the joint Regulatory Affairs and Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) committee meeting. Members gathered in SF, SD and on Zoom to hear from Marks about the FDA’s current CGT initiatives and regulatory policy advancements. He discussed the potential of CAR-T cell therapies, current gene therapy challenges, the FDA’s new platform technology designation program and provided an update on the Collaboration on Gene Therapies Global (CoGenT Global) Pilot and Support for clinical Trials Advancing Rare disease Therapeutics (START) Pilot programs.

Carlsbad Climate Action Plan Reach Code Could Require 100% Building Electrification

On September 4, the Carlsbad Planning Commission discussed an update to the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). The draft update outlines greenhouse gas emission reduction goals in a variety of categories, including extensive language to improve energy efficiency in buildings. Biocom California submitted a letter related to a potential “reach code”—a policy that would require 100% building electrification. We will continue to engage on the CAP as it moves through the legislative process in Carlsbad; this will tentatively go back to Planning Commission as an action item in October.

San Francisco Legislation Proposal Restricts Lab Use in Urban Mixed-Use Zones

Last week, Biocom California spent the afternoon at San Francisco City Hall talking with members of the Board of Supervisors about Supervisor Walton’s proposed legislation restricting lab use in UMU (urban mixed-use) zoning. We explained why limiting the building and use of labs in UMU zones is detrimental to the life science industry. The planning commission has already recommended disapproval of this legislation and it will be heard next at the Board of Supervisors land use committee later this month

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Bill to Maintain Beyond Benefits Trust Before the Legislature

In 2021, Biocom California sponsored SB 718, which allowed qualified life science trade associations to offer association health plans. The bill was introduced because the biomedical industry’s high-quality health plan was swept into the Managed Healthcare Department’s sweeping action to reign in lower-quality health plans pursuant to prior legislation. Unfortunately, a sunset date was forced into SB 718, necessitating renewal of the enabling legislation.

This year, Biocom California worked with Assemblymember Akilah Weber to introduce AB 2072, which extends the sunset date to January 1, 2030, so that biomedical companies can continue offering affordable, high-quality health insurance to their employees through California’s small employer association health plan law. Extension of the sunset will allow small life science companies to compete with larger companies for talent at all levels. The bill has successfully moved through the State Assembly and State Senate, Gov. Gavin Newsom will have final consideration of the bill in September.

University Community Plan Update Receives Final Approval

On July 30, San Diego City Council gave unanimous final approval to the University Community Plan Update, the land use document that will govern future development of San Diego’s life science hub in Torrey Pines and UTC over the next 30-plus years. Biocom California led a coalition in support of the plan update, which adds capacity for an additional 29,000 homes and 72,000 jobs. That’s not to say these will be built overnight or even in the next ten years—but it gives our industry the room to thoughtfully develop mixed-use campuses and additional housing options for our life science workforce.

The plan update passage is the culmination of six years of work by the city to update the plan, incorporating input from residents, students, community groups and businesses. Biocom California held a seat on the plan update committee and represented the life science industry’s interests during monthly meetings throughout the update process. We thank our partners in this process, including: Our Time to Act United, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Circulate San Diego, BOMA, NAIOP, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Asian Business Association and the Building Industry Association.

An Update on Bay Area Tax Reform Efforts

Biocom California is closely monitoring cities in the Bay Area that are seeking to increase tax rates in response to budget shortfalls. In the upcoming November elections, Redwood City residents will vote on a new business license tax that proposes a per-employee rate between $10 and $250, potentially generating $7.7 million. Foster City voters will decide on a tax increase ranging from 75 cents to $3 per $1,000 in gross receipts, projected to raise an additional $1.4 million annually. South San Francisco aims to update to more than double the current $2.3 million revenue, with proposed changes including removing the current tax cap. Voters in San Francisco will be asked to vote on a ballot measure which will increase taxes for most industries, including an 18% increase for life science companies. Biocom California was actively involved in these discussions and worked directly with cities, their local chambers and other community partners to advocate for our members.

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