12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA MENTAL HEALTH AND 2 |
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14 | 15 | | PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE TASK FORCE. 3 |
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15 | 16 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4 |
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16 | 17 | | SECTION 1. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental 5 |
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17 | 18 | | Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, may establish the North 6 |
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18 | 19 | | Carolina Mental Health and Psychedelic Medicine Task Force (Task Force). The purpose of this 7 |
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19 | 20 | | Task Force is to: 8 |
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20 | 21 | | (1) Assess the potential use of psychedelic medicine in addressing the State's 9 |
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21 | 22 | | ongoing mental health crisis. 10 |
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22 | 23 | | (2) Consider barriers to implementation and equitable access. 11 |
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23 | 24 | | (3) Consider and recommend licensing and insurance requirements for 12 |
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24 | 25 | | practitioners in the State in the event that psychedelic medicines are federally 13 |
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25 | 26 | | reclassified and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. 14 |
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26 | 27 | | (4) Consider legal and regulatory pathways to the legalization of psychedelic 15 |
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27 | 28 | | medicines in the State and the potential effects of the medicines on public 16 |
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28 | 29 | | health. 17 |
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29 | 30 | | SECTION 2. The Task Force shall consist of the following members: 18 |
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30 | 31 | | (1) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, or the 19 |
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31 | 32 | | Secretary's designee. 20 |
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32 | 33 | | (2) The Secretary of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, or the 21 |
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33 | 34 | | Secretary's designee. 22 |
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34 | 35 | | (3) The Secretary of the Department of Commerce, or the Secretary's designee. 23 |
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35 | 36 | | (4) One member representing mental health issues in the State, selected by the 24 |
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36 | 37 | | State chapter of a national alliance focused on mental health and mental 25 |
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37 | 38 | | illness. 26 |
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38 | 39 | | (5) One member representing health care needs of North Carolina Native 27 |
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39 | 40 | | communities, selected by the tribal council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee 28 |
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40 | 41 | | Indians. 29 |
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41 | 42 | | (6) One member representing the health care needs of survivors of domestic 30 |
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42 | 43 | | violence and sexual assault, selected by the NC Domestic Violence 31 |
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43 | 44 | | Commission. 32 |
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44 | 45 | | (7) One member representing the psychiatric profession, selected by the 33 |
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47 | 52 | | (8) One member of the faculty of the University of North Carolina School of 1 |
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48 | 53 | | Medicine, selected by the dean of the University of North Carolina School of 2 |
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49 | 54 | | Medicine. 3 |
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50 | 55 | | (9) One member of the faculty of the East Carolina University Brody School of 4 |
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51 | 56 | | Medicine, selected by the dean of the Brody School of Medicine. 5 |
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52 | 57 | | (10) Two members of the Senate, one appointed by the President Pro Tempore of 6 |
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53 | 58 | | the Senate and one appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. 7 |
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54 | 59 | | (11) Two members of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the Speaker 8 |
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55 | 60 | | of the House of Representatives and one appointed by the House Minority 9 |
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56 | 61 | | Leader. 10 |
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57 | 62 | | (12) Up to three members selected by the Task Force, once assembled, that the 11 |
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58 | 63 | | Task Force determines would serve the purpose of the Task Force, including, 12 |
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59 | 64 | | but not limited to, members of veterans advocacy groups, disabled veterans 13 |
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60 | 65 | | groups, first responders associations, anti-human trafficking advocacy 14 |
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61 | 66 | | organizations, law enforcement advocacy organizations, and victims' rights 15 |
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62 | 67 | | groups. The Task Force is not required to make an appointment under this 16 |
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63 | 68 | | subdivision. 17 |
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64 | 69 | | SECTION 3. The Task Force shall elect a chair from among its members. 18 |
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65 | 70 | | SECTION 4. A vacancy on the Task Force shall be filled in the same manner as the 19 |
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66 | 71 | | original selection or appointment. 20 |
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67 | 72 | | SECTION 5. Members of the Task Force shall receive per diem, subsistence, and 21 |
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68 | 73 | | travel allowance as provided in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, and 138-6, as appropriate. 22 |
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69 | 74 | | SECTION 6. The Task Force shall: 23 |
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70 | 75 | | (1) Meet at least four times to fulfill the purpose of the Task Force. 24 |
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71 | 76 | | (2) Ensure members are available for legislative hearings. 25 |
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72 | 77 | | (3) Submit a final report on the results of its study, including any proposed 26 |
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73 | 78 | | legislation, to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026. 27 |
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74 | 79 | | SECTION 7. The Task Force shall terminate on December 31, 2026, or upon the 28 |
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75 | 80 | | filing of its final report, whichever is later. 29 |
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76 | 81 | | SECTION 8. This act is effective when it becomes law. 30 |
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