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Committee gives due-pass recommendation to bill updating controlled-substance schedules
Summary
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 29 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation; the bill updates Idahos controlled-substance schedules to add multiple synthetic opioids, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, stimulants and anabolic steroids, and to schedule a new FDA-approved postpartum depression treatment.
The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 29 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation after hearing a summary from Nikki Chopsky, health professions bureau chief at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.
Chopsky told the committee the bill updates the state's controlled-substances schedules to align with substances the federal government and other jurisdictions have identified. She summarized class-level changes included in the bill: additions of 10 synthetic fentanyl-type substances to the Schedule I opiate section (pages 1through 4), seven synthetic cannabinoids or THC-related substances to the Schedule I hallucinogens list (pages 7 and 8), five synthetic benzodiazepines to Schedule I (page 9), two synthetic stimulants known as "bath salts" to Schedule I (page 10), 23 man-made testosterone derivatives used as anabolic steroids to Schedule III (pages 12 and 13), and zuranolone (brand name Zurzuve), an FDA-approved treatment for postpartum depression, to Schedule IV (page 16).
Chopsky said the Board of Pharmacy annually reviews federal scheduling and recommends state scheduling because Idaho does not incorporate the federal DEA schedules by reference; Idaho is one of a minority of states that instead reviews and lists substances each year. She said the board considers overdose reports, abuse potential, deaths, and international scheduling when recommending changes and that the additions would allow state enforcement action if those compounds were misused. Chopsky requested the committee send the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.
Senator Shawn Wintrow moved to send House Bill 29 to the floor with a due pass; the motion was seconded by Senator Blaylock and approved unanimously on a voice vote.
Chopsky told the committee there was no expected fiscal impact to the general fund or the dedicated fund and asked the committee to support the measure so Idaho could take enforcement action when new synthetic compounds appear in the state.
