STAND. COM. REP. NO. 595-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2630

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2630, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize, and establish a regulatory framework for, the administration of psilocybin for therapeutic use.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board; Office of Wellness and Resilience; Beyond Mental Health; Center for Healing & Transformation; Aloha Integrative Mental Health; Wellness Kuleana; Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center; Clarity Project; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Medical Association; Hawaiʻi Academy of Family Physicians; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Hawaiʻi Psychological Association.

Your Committee finds that research has shown psilocybin to be a promising clinical treatment tool for a wide range of mental and psychiatric diagnoses, including anxiety, addiction, depression, end-of-life anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These results have led the United States Food and Drug Administration to grant psilocybin a breakthrough therapy designation for treatment resistant depression and major depressive disorder. This measure establishes a regulatory framework for the safe use of psilocybin in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a definition for "primary caregiver";

(2) Specifying that the use of psilocybin for therapeutic purposes must be subject to the professional recommendation of a licensed medical professional, rather than a licensed mental health professional; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that concerns were raised that, while this measure specifies that the administration of psilocybin is subject to the supervision of a facilitator, the measure also provides that the facilitator is not required to be physically present during the administration session. Furthermore, the lack of supervision calls into question whether a qualifying patient would abide by the restrictions on use under certain conditions and in certain settings provided in this measure. Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to give due consideration to these concerns.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2630, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2630, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair