Veterans and First Responders Research Pilot Program.

Senators Becker and Jones have proposed establishing a five-county research pilot program to study psilocybin-assisted therapy for veterans and first responders experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and end-of-life distress. The California Health and Human Services Agency would oversee the program through partnerships with University of California institutions and local healthcare providers.

The pilot program requires university partners to design research protocols, obtain institutional review board approvals, and train psilocybin facilitators while adhering to Food and Drug Administration guidelines for psychedelic clinical trials. Local mental health clinics, hospice programs, and veterans facilities would provide direct services to eligible participants. The legislation creates data collection and sharing requirements between pilot sites, with university partners submitting regular progress reports and conducting a peer-reviewed study of the program's outcomes by January 2029.

To fund these activities, the bill establishes the Veterans and First Responders Research Pilot Special Fund, which would receive grants, donations and federal funding. The fund would support program administration, staff training, data analysis, and community education initiatives. The pilot program would operate through January 1, 2031, at which point the authorizing provisions would be repealed unless extended by subsequent legislation.