OCTOBER 17, 2025

Updated Details:



Join SCIL at UCLA's Royce Hall for the Assembly's Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation

Thursday, October 23rd!

Last week we sent out an initial save the date for the Committee hearing. Below is the full agenda and location details.

Please join Social Compassion in Legislation at the Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation hearing at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Following the hearing, SCIL will host a social hour featuring food by Vurger Guyz, with a generous in-kind donation from Beyond Meat, and be joined by Committee Chair Assemblymember Ash Kalra, other elected officials, and leading figures in the alternative protein industry.

What: Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation Hearing & Reception

When: Thursday, October 23rd

Hearing: 1:30 – approximately 3:45 PM



Social Reception: 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Where: UCLA’s Royce Hall, Room 314

SCIL is grateful to Assemblymember Kalra for initiating the creation of this Select Committee and thrilled that the California Assembly is focusing on alternative protein innovation—a vital step toward meeting the world’s growing demand for protein in a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate way. The hearing will feature insights from industry experts and academic researchers.

Official agenda:

SCIL’s advocacy for plant-based policies are inspired by Judie Mancuso’s vegan lifestyle beginning in 1990, a core value that has shaped our mission since SCIL’s founding in 2007, and is explored in her book, Because They Need Us.

Over the years, SCIL has proudly supported and sponsored landmark plant-based initiatives, including:

• SB 1138 (2018): Made California the first state to require plant-based meal options in all state hospitals and prisons.
• AB 1289 (2019): Proposed a grant program to help farmers transition from animal to plant-based agriculture.
• 2022 Budget Initiative: Secured $100 million for K-12 school kitchen infrastructure to expand plant-based food preparation and other healthy culinary goals.

We hope to see you on October 23rd!

As we mark our 18th year of making laws to protect animals, we are profoundly grateful for your continued commitment. Together, we are creating lasting, meaningful progress for the voiceless who need us most.

Thank you for being an indispensable part of our team.

Best, Judie

Judie Mancuso, founder/CEO/president

Social Compassion, 501(c)(3)

Social Compassion in Legislation, 501(c)(4)

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