Bill To Bolster Pediatric Cancer Research Funding Passes Key Hurdle In State Senate

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children nationwide. Roughly 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and there remains a severe gap in funding for pediatric cancer. Even worse, the federal government is gutting scientific research, making it now more important than ever to bolster support for the hundreds of Californian children diagnosed with cancer annually. 

Assemblymember Alex Lee’s bill, AB 703, will empower everyday Californians to contribute to the development of effective treatments for childhood cancers. The bill, which passed the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, allows taxpayers to donate a portion of their state tax return in support of pediatric cancer research. AB 703 was inspired by Assemblymember Lee’s constituent, Sahil Mehta, whose mission to raise awareness of pediatric cancers is personal. 

“AB 703 gives everyone a chance to be part of the fight against childhood cancer,” said Assemblymember Lee. “It is through Sahil’s advocacy that we will pave the way for new innovations in pediatric cancer research. His story is a powerful example of leading real change with courage, and AB 703 will provide much needed hope for families impacted by pediatric cancer.” 

Sahil’s brother Ronil was just 14 years old when he passed away from a terminal form of brain cancer, known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). It was devastating for the Mehta family. Ronil endured bravely, but they knew there were no cures or proven treatments for Ronil. 

“I lost my brother Ronil to a rare and aggressive brain cancer, one with no effective treatments and a survival rate that remains close to zero,” said Sahil, an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) California legislative ambassador. “Ronil's final wish was to donate his tumor for cancer research to find ways to treat the disease. AB 703 honors that wish by making it easy for Californians to support childhood cancer research directly through their state tax return. It shows that even the smallest act of support can help protect a child’s chance to grow up, and that we all have a role in that hope.”

Sahil, a rising senior at Fremont’s Irvington High School, and his family are channeling their loss to advocating for families affected by childhood cancer. They joined forces with Rayaan Kolte and his family, whose brother Neev also passed away from DIPG. Together, they formed the Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation to honor the legacies of Ronil and Neev, and support families affected by pediatric brain cancer. The foundation is a co-sponsor of AB 703 along with ACS CAN California. 

"I was inspired to get involved with advocacy when my younger brother Neev was diagnosed with DIPG at the age of 4," said Rayaan, co-founder of Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation siblings and friends chapter. "AB 703 would help increase research funding which we desperately need by giving Californians an option to donate their tax refunds to a research program for pediatric cancer, so kids like my brother would have a chance to grow up.”

Roughly one in five children diagnosed with cancer will not survive. Most survivors of childhood cancer develop chronic conditions or experience a severe or life threatening condition due to treatment. However, there’s little financial incentive for private companies to invest in pediatric research, given the much smaller patient population compared to adult cancers. When it comes to public funding, just 4% of federal funding is dedicated to studying childhood cancers. To make matters worse, Trump has already cut the National Institutes of Health’s cancer funding by 30% through March. AB 703 will create an essential funding stream in California dedicated towards research into childhood cancers. 

“With the unprecedented proposed cuts to research funding at the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, it’s more urgent than ever that we, as Californians, are able to step up to ensure critical cancer research doesn’t slow down or end,” said Jen Grand-Lejano, managing director at ACS CAN California. “This bill would make it easier to raise funds for vital and promising childhood cancer research, bringing hope to families facing this diagnosis.”