Senate committee advances bill to fund research, training for psychedelic-assisted therapies

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on Feb. 10 advanced Senate Bill 10-42, a measure to create a special fund to support research, workforce training and patient access for emerging mental-health therapies including MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.

Supporters told the committee the bill could expand access to treatments for people with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. Lieutenant General Martin Steele, representing the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, said the therapies showed promise and urged passage. "I urge you to pass SB 10 42," Steele said.

The bill’s nut graf is the committee’s decision to advance a measure that backers say would expand Hawaii’s research and care options while the attorney general flagged legal and fiscal details the measure must address. The chair advanced the bill with amendments and a defective date to allow sponsors and state lawyers to resolve funding and statutory issues before final approval.

In an appearance before the committee, Deputy Attorney General Alana Bryant said the office had submitted written comments about requirements for establishing and managing special funds under state law. The committee adopted a procedural approach — passing with amendments and setting a defective date — to give advocates time to respond to those concerns.

Clinicians and veterans gave the committee detailed testimony. Dr. Robin Martin of the Department of Psychiatry at JABSOM summarized clinical findings and training readiness, saying promising new therapeutics "have demonstrated two‑thirds cure rate for PTSD and major depressive disorder, respectively." Multiple veterans described personal improvement after traveling for psychedelic-assisted therapy; Josh Se, a Navy veteran, said psilocybin therapy helped him "break free from the cycle of despair and rebuild my life." Christina Braddock, a family nurse practitioner and combat veteran, described finding relief after conventional treatments failed.

Committee members emphasized that passage at this stage does not appropriate funds. The chair’s motion accepted amendments but left the appropriation amount blank and set a defective date so the bill can be revised to address the attorney general’s concerns about fund structure and sustainability. The measure’s sponsors were told the committee will look for a self-sustaining plan rather than relying only on donations.

What happens next: the bill will return to the committee for technical fixes and for sponsors to provide the fund language and appropriation details sought by the Attorney General’s Office.