Bill > S0106

This bill extends the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group's mandate through January 1, 2026, expanding its membership and scope of research. The Working Group, originally established in 2024, will now include 11 members representing various medical, psychological, and regulatory organizations, such as the University of Vermont's medical school, the Vermont Psychological Association, and state health commissioners. Its duties include continuing to review research on psychedelic-assisted treatments, monitoring other states' psychedelic programs, developing harm reduction training, and proposing a pilot project for psilocybin-assisted therapy in end-of-life and serious illness care. The group is tasked with seeking testimony from national research institutions and submitting a comprehensive report to several legislative committees by November 15, 2025. Notably, the bill highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, for addressing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, especially in the context of serious illness. The Working Group will be supported by the Vermont Department of Mental Health and will hold its first meeting by July 15, 2025, with the goal of providing informed recommendations about potential state-level psychedelic therapy programs.