- Brody Fernandez
- (916) 276-3390
- brody.fernandez@asm.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced) today is announcing her bill AB 58, which would call for a comprehensive funding plan for the future of medical education at the University of California (UC), Merced.
“We have seen first-hand the impacts of medical workforce shortages throughout the Central Valley,” said Soria. “AB 58 would help ensure the Legislature is equipped with the information needed to secure appropriate funding for the medical education provided for our community at UC Merced.”
AB 58 would request the UC to report to the Legislature by August 31, 2026 on the financing necessary to expand on the existing successful San Joaquin Valley PRIME+ BS to MD program (SJV PRIME+) UC Merced conducts in partnership with UC San Francisco (UCSF) and transition to a fully independent medical school operated by UC Merced.
“We deeply appreciate Assemblywoman Soria’s continued support of UC Merced,” said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “Her commitment to Assembly District 27 and working in partnership with the University of California to ensure that the legislature makes responsible fiscal decisions for California’s students and the future of medical education in the Central Valley will be essential to our future success and that of the region.”
UC Merced has already begun successfully delivering quality medical education to the Central Valley through the SJV PRIME+ partnership with UCSF, and plans to expand on this success with the completed construction of the UC Merced Medical Education Building, currently slated for 2026.
However, funding limitations in the state budget have seen reductions to overall funding to the UC system as a whole. In the Governor’s January proposal for the 2025-26 Budget, the UC would see funding reduced by $271 million, and it is unclear what future budget years might look like given these restrictions. To ensure successful programs like SJV PRIME+ and key capital investments like UC Merced’s Medical Education Building are not wasted, the Legislature will need a full understanding of the UC’s needs, to create a prudent financial plan for the future.
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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.