AB 703: Turning Grief Into Law

California's First Childhood Cancer Research Tax Checkoff Fund

The Beginning

In 2018, my older brother Ronnie passed away from brain cancer just before his 15th birthday. He battled the disease for 31 months—a journey marked by strokes, surgeries, and countless treatments. Before he died, Ronnie made a choice that would outlive him: he donated his tumor to research. That selfless act planted a question in me that wouldn't let go—how do we make sure other families don't lose hope the way we almost did?

Seven years later, I found an answer hiding in plain sight.

The Research

Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children. Yet when I looked at California's tax return form in 2024, I noticed something missing. There were checkboxes for wildlife conservation, Alzheimer's research, even state parks—but nothing for childhood cancer research.

Other states had done it. A voluntary tax contribution fund is simple: taxpayers can donate a portion of their refund to a specific cause by checking a box. Those small donations add up to millions. California didn't have one for kids fighting cancer.

So I built the case for why we should.

I spent months researching state funding mechanisms, studying how other states structured their programs, analyzing revenue potential, and identifying the barriers. I drafted bill language. I reached out to Assemblymember Alex Lee's office with a proposal, backed by data and a plan.

He said yes.

The Process

AB 703 was born in early 2025. But a bill is just words on paper until people fight for it.

I worked alongside Assemblymember Lee's legislative team to refine the language. I built a coalition with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and the Brave Ronil Foundation. I rallied youth advocates through ACS CAN's Student Emerging Leaders program—because if this was going to work, it couldn't just be my voice. It had to be ours.

In the spring, I testified before the California State Revenue and Taxation Committee. I told them about Ronnie. I told them about the researchers who depend on unpredictable funding. I told them that a checkbox isn't just policy—it's hope made visible.

The committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.

Over the following months, I spoke at Action Day at the Capitol, gave interviews, met with lawmakers from both parties, and worked the phones. AB 703 passed the Assembly unanimously. Then the Senate. Not a single "no" vote.

On July 28, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 703 into law.

The Impact

California became the seventh state in the nation to establish a voluntary tax contribution fund for pediatric cancer research. Starting in 2026, every Californian filing their state tax return will see a checkbox that wasn't there before. A small act that could save lives.

The UC Regents will administer the fund, distributing grants to researchers and institutions pursuing innovative therapies for childhood cancers. The fund is permanent. It will outlive all of us.

But the real impact isn't just the money—it's what that checkbox represents. Every person who checks it is saying: I see you. Your fight matters. We're not giving up.