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Committee advances AB 1103 to expedite state review of controlled-substance clinical research
Summary
AB 1103 would create an expedited review process for the Research Advisory Panel of California (RAPC) to reduce approval delays for federally authorized clinical trials involving schedule I and II substances, sponsors said. Veterans and treatment advocates urged the change citing delayed research and care; no formal opposition was recorded.
Assemblymember Padilla presented AB 1103, which would authorize an expedited review process for the Research Advisory Panel of California (RAPC) to approve federally sanctioned drug trials and clinical research involving schedule I and II controlled substances. The bill is intended to align state review procedures with federal approvals and reduce delays that stakeholders said have halted important studies.
Veteran advocates and program representatives testified in support, describing patients who traveled abroad for treatments and research that they said improved their outcomes. Khashid Khoja, director of public policy for VETS (a veterans charity and sponsor), said RAPC had stopped meeting for nearly a year in the past and that the backlog stalled almost 100 research studies in California, some impacting veteran care.
Supporters said the expedited review would preserve RAPC as a state-level backstop while removing unnecessary bottlenecks that delay time‑sensitive research. Witnesses included clinicians, advocacy groups and local governments; the transcript records no formal opposition. The author accepted committee amendments and asked for an aye vote.
Action and next steps: The committee passed AB 1103 as amended and referred the bill to the Committee on Judiciary. The transcript records the committee roll calls and the bill being placed on call while other members participated remotely.
