Vermont H 859: An act relating to psychedelic therapy and clinical drug development trials

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.859
2026 Page 1 of 12

VT LEG #386193 v.2
H.859 1
Introduced by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Casey of Montpelier, 2
Headrick of Burlington, Kleppner of Burlington, Logan of 3
Burlington, and McGill of Bridport 4
Referred to Committee on 5
Date: 6
Subject: Health care; human services; mental health; substance use disorder; 7
psychedelic therapy; Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Board; ibogaine; 8
clinical drug development trials 9
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 10
Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Board and requires the Department of Health to 11
enter into a contract with a Vermont entity to perform ibogaine clinical drug 12
development trials. 13
An act relating to psychedelic therapy and clinical drug development trials 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
* * * Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Board* * * 16
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 17
The General Assembly finds that: 18
(1) 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 126, an act relating to the 19
establishment of the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group, was 20

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.859
2026 Page 2 of 12

VT LEG #386193 v.2
enacted by the Vermont General Assembly “for the purpose of reviewing 1
existing research on the cost-benefit profile of the use of psychedelics to 2
improve mental health and to make findings and recommendations regarding 3
the advisability of the establishment of a State program to permit health care 4
providers to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting and the impact on 5
public health of allowing individuals to legally access psychedelics under State 6
law”; 7
(2) on November 12, 2024, the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working 8
Group issued a report recommending the “[extension] of the current [W]orking 9
[G]roup with the expansion of participants to monitor the evolution of research 10
and programs across the country and to facilitate the ability to research 11
psychedelic therapies in Vermont”; 12
(3) the current federal administration has acknowledged the benefits of 13
psychedelic treatments in a clinical setting to treat trauma and mental health 14
conditions and it supports ramping up clinical drug development trials to 15
enable doctors’ prescription of psychedelic medicines soon; 16
(4) according to the Texas Ibogaine Initiative, Texas has approved 17
$50,000,000.00 in state funding to drug development trials for ibogaine as “a 18
breakthrough treatment for substance use disorder, trauma-related conditions, 19
and traumatic brain injury”; and 20

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.859
2026 Page 3 of 12

VT LEG #386193 v.2
(5) establishing a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Board in Vermont is a 1
step toward Americans for Ibogaine’s goal of establishing “the medicalization 2
of ibogaine in the United States—specifically, the successful completion of 3
Phase 3 clinical trials, and ultimately, FDA approval.” 4
Sec. 2. PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY ADVISORY BOARD 5
(a) Creation. There is created the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Board for 6
the purposes of: 7
(1) reviewing existing research and the cost-benefit profile regarding 8
whether the use of psychedelic therapy improves health and well-being, 9
including mental health and substance use disorders; 10
(2) proposing recommendations regarding the establishment of a State 11
program to permit health care providers to administer psychedelics in a 12
therapeutic setting; 13
(3) providing an updated assessment of the public health impact of 14
allowing individuals to legally access psychedelic medications under State law; 15
and 16
(4) exploring the potential of interstate partnership through research and 17
development of novel treatments. 18
(b) Membership. The Advisory Board shall be composed of the following 19
members: 20
(1) the Secretary of Human Services or designee; 21

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.859
2026 Page 4 of 12

VT LEG #386193 v.2
(2) the Director of the Office of Professional Regulation or designee; 1
(3) a health care professional licensed or certified in Vermont with 2
specialized training in psychedelic therapy or research, appointed by the 3
Commissioner of Health; 4
(4) an attorney licensed in Vermont with experience practicing in the 5
health care field, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme 6
Court; 7
(5) a physician licensed in the State with experience in the treatment of 8
trauma, substance use disorders, and other health conditions resistant to 9
existing treatments, appointed by the Vermont Medical Society; 10
(6) a psychologist licensed in the State with experience in the treatment 11
of trauma, substance use disorders, and other conditions resistant to existing 12
treatments, appointed by the President of the Vermont Psychological 13
Association; 14
(7) a social worker licensed in this State with experience in the 15
treatment of trauma, substance use disorders, and other health conditions 16
resistant to existing treatments, appointed by the Vermont chapter of the 17
Nati