Page 294
House Bill No. 5506
Public Act No. 22-118 294 of 739
Mental Health and Addiction Services; (7) one appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health; and (8) one appointed by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. The board shall include members with experience or expertise in psychedelic research, psychedelic-assisted therapy, public health, access to mental and behavioral health care in underserved communities, veteran mental and behavioral health care, harm reduction and sacramental use of psychedelic substances. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 4-9a of the general statutes, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the board from among the members of the board. The chairpersons shall oversee the establishment of and make recommendations regarding the voting procedures of the board. (d) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to consumer protection shall serve as administrative staff of the board, with assistance as needed provided by employees of the Offices of Legislative Research and Fiscal Analysis. (e) The board shall advise the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services on the design and development of the regulations and infrastructure necessary to safely allow for therapeutic access to psychedelic-assisted therapy upon the legalization of MDMA, psilocybin and any other psychedelic compounds. In advising the department under this subsection, the board shall be responsible for: (1) Reviewing and considering the data from the psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program established under section 200 of this act to inform the development of such regulations; (2) advising the department on the necessary education, training, licensing and credentialing of therapists and facilitators, patient safety, harm reduction, the establishment of equity measures in both clinical and therapeutic settings, cost and