Public Health Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-5396
Title: AN ACT INCREASING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH MEDICATION.
Vote Date: 3/18/2022
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 3/14/2022
File No.: 237
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
The Public Health Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
To address mental health issues impacting residents of our state, this bill will create, within
the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), a Psychedelic-Assisted
Therapy Pilot Program to provide funding for qualified patients to receive MDMA or
psilocybin-assisted therapy through the FDA-approved expanded access program. This pilot
program will end once MDMA and psilocybin are approved by the federal DEA for medical
use. The bill establishes a Patients for Approved Treatment Sites Fund (PAT), also within
DMHAS, which will provide qualified applicants with grants to provide the therapies. The bill
outlines the administrative guidelines for this process and requires that DMHAS select up to
three applicants as approved treatment sites by 12/28/2022.
The bill establishes a Connecticut Psychedelic Treatment Advisory Board within DHMAS to
advise the department on the regulations and infrastructure needed to safely allow access to
these therapies and, in addition, requires the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to
adopt the DEA's controlled substances schedule for MDMA or psilocybin, should it be
updated. Finally, the bill appropriates $3 million to DMHAS to fund PAT.
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
Nancy Navarretta, Commissioner, Department of Menatal Health and Addiction
Services (DMHAS):
Manisha Juthani, Commissioner, Department of Public Health (DPH);
Michelle Seagull Commissioner, Department of Consumer Protection, (DCP):
At the direction of the state legislature, DMHAS convened a working group to study the
efficacy of psilocybin as a therapeutic treatment and found it to be promising for several
behavioral health conditions, particularly when safely administered in highly structured
settings, and recommended the development of an expanded access program. It is the view
of these agencies that this bill is much more expansive than the findings of their working
group. They do not have the resources to implement some of the provisions of these
programs. Expanded access programs can be available through a qualified research process
without state agency intervention making this legislation unnecessary.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Dr. Saed Al-Olimat, Board of Directors, Psychedelic Pharmacists Association:
Our current antidepressant medication is not having the impact that we need. It may take
weeks to show any benefit and can have harmful side effects. Psilocin, the compound that
the body absorbs from psilocybin, is what induces the psychedelic experience, leading the
user to experience deep psychological insights. The outcomes from leading research
institutions find that one or two doses of psilocybin, with psychological support, may provide
6-12 months of relief both depression and anxiety. These compounds are physiologically safe
with no record of overdose to date.
Dr. Lynnette A. Averill, Baylor College of Medicine:
Mounting evidence suggests that therapeutics like MDMA and psilocybin are fast-acting and
promote rapid structural and functional neural plasticity having the potential to provide robust
improvements. Research, being conducted at premier academic institutions in the US and
across the world suggests psychedelic medicines work more rapidly than traditionally
available treatments, targeting the full spectrum of symptoms and many associated factors.
BG Stephen N. Xenakis, M.D., Director, Community Resilience Campaign:
This legislation provides the tools to improve the treatments and delivery of mental health
care. Creating a pilot program to fund clinical services through an FDA approved expanded
access protocol enables real world patients, with complexities that may prevent access to
clinical trials, to receive treatment they urgently need. Without these proactive measures, it
will take many years after FDA approval to develop best practices and widely deploy better
treatments.
Jordan Sloshower, MD, Yale University School of Medicine:
This bill sets provides a very reasonable step towards increasing access to psychedelic
medications within an FDA-approved clinical context, while also helping to prepare
Connecticut for the likely possibility that these drugs will receive FDA approval within the next
five years. Creating an Expanded Access pilot program and funding appropriate treatment
sites will help develop the clinical infrastructure in the state needed to deliver these unique
treatments and ensure access to more patients for whom conventional treatments are not
effective.
Brett Waters, Executive Director, Reason for Hope:
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a unique, time-intensive form of treatment that does not fit
neatly into our current mental health care system and will create significant logistical
challenges for transitioning from the research lab to real-world clinical settings. This bill is
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prudent and sound policy informing best clinical practices while providing for the development
of the regulatory infrastructure needed to ensure safe, responsible use of this type of therapy.
Thomas Burr, Community and Affiliates Relations Manager, NAMI Connecticut:
For too long Connecticut has seemingly been stuck with the standard treatment methods for
mental health conditions, with correspondingly lackluster results. We feel that it is far past
time to study different, perhaps even unorthodox treatments, that show great promise.
Marcus Capone, Chairman, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions:
With the proper setting and under medical supervision, these therapies will save Veteran
lives. Twenty-two veteran suicides per day is unacceptable; no one needs or deserves these
interventions more than our nations Veterans. The research supports that these therapies
are more effective than any conventional treatment currently available.
Allison Wilson, Founder, The Hope Project:
My MDMA and psilocybin experience saved my life, my marriage, and ultimately, my
childrens lives. It gave me the hope, love, and compassion I needed to dig deep into myself
after years of secondary PTSD from being at home for 16 years while my husband was on
active duty.
Additional Sources of Support
Ali Amirhooshmand, Apollo Pact
Jon Kostakopoulos, Apollo Pact
Jesse Gould, Executive Director, Heroic Hearts Project
Susan Ousterman, Vilomah Memorial Foundation
Zachary Green, UConn Hartford Chapter President, SSDP
Margaret Watt, Policy Chair, National Alliance on Mental Illness-Connecticut Chapter
LG Martin Steele, CEO, Reason for Hope
Lt Col John L. Buchanan, Reason for Hope
Jesse MacLachlan, Reason for Hope
Amber Capone, Executive Director, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions
Dr. Robert Koffman
Dr. Cynthia Levy
Lt. Sarko Gergerian
Jonathan Perez-Reyzin
Scott Vail
Serena Wu
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
No sources of opposition were provided.
Reported by: Dallas Emerle Date: 4/4/2022
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Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
PH Joint Favorable:
File No. 237: