California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program.

The California Constitution provides that the University of California constitutes a public trust administered by the Regents of the University of California, a corporation in the form of a board, with full powers of organization and government, subject to legislative control only for specified purposes. Under existing law, the Regents of the University of California may adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to operate any project. Existing law establishes and funds various research centers and programs in conjunction with the University of California. This bill, subject to a resolution adopted by the Regents of the University of California agreeing to undertake the below-described duties, would establish the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program, and would request the University of California to develop and administer a competitive grant program to award grants to eligible educational institutions to conduct research on the California fire service using a community-based participatory research model, as defined, in collaboration with California firefighters. The bill would require the University of California, in consultation with the FIRESCOPE Program, to develop the strategic guidelines and priorities of the program and receive and evaluate the applications of the eligible educational institutions. The bill would require the FIRESCOPE Program to make final recommendations to the University of California on which grants should be funded. The bill would also require the University of California, in consultation with the FIRESCOPE Program, to prepare a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2025, with a 2nd report due on or before January 1, 2030, with specified information, including the number and dollar amounts of the grants that have been awarded.