Annual controlled-substances bill amended to add federally scheduled compounds

House Bill 1056, the annual controlled substances bill that aligns Indiana's controlled-substances schedules with federal changes, was presented to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee and passed as amended.

Doug Boyle of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency described the bill as PLA’s routine annual scheduling measure on behalf of the Board of Pharmacy. Boyle said the bill as introduced added "2-methyl AP-237" to Indiana’s Schedule I opiates to comply with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s prior federal rulemaking. He asked the committee to accept a chair’s amendment to add one additional substance (ethylphenidate) to Schedule I stimulants and to add DEA controlled-substance code numbers to certain entries already codified in statute.

Chair McNamara read a multi-line chair’s amendment aloud that inserts several code numbers and the ethylphenidate entry; a committee member questioned whether the substances mimic other drugs, and Boyle said the agency relied on DEA rulemaking for the specific names and codes. The chair's amendment was taken by consent and the committee moved to pass the bill as amended.

The committee recorded its approval, with the roll-call reflecting 130 votes in favor. The sponsor and agency representative emphasized the bill’s purpose is technical alignment with federal scheduling decisions and to add DEA code numbers for statutory clarity; no policy debate about diverted enforcement authority was recorded in committee.