Controlled substances: research.

Assembly Member Ward’s measure would recast California’s Research Advisory Panel to review in-state research projects that require the administration of Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, and to expedite approvals for projects that meet specified federal approvals and independent peer‑review criteria. The panel may designate two or more members to conduct expedited reviews and grant approvals on behalf of the panel without a full panel vote; the panel retains authority to withdraw approval for reasonable cause, provided the project is given notice and an opportunity to cure. The expedited mechanism is temporary, terminating on January 1, 2028.

Expedited review hinges on several criteria, including proof of independent peer review of the study by recognized national or federal bodies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Heffter Research Institute, or the National Science Foundation, or a comparable institutional review. For all expedited proposals, the project must meet applicable federal requirements, such as a qualifying research registration or FDA/DEA approvals when relevant, and, for human subjects, an institutional review board evaluation that addresses applicable federal and state protections. For animal subjects, an institutional animal care and use committee approval is required. Projects not meeting expedited criteria would proceed through the standard full-panel process, and the expedited criteria and process are to be published on the panel’s website. Assigned panel members may communicate asynchronously with others who have relevant expertise and are not required to hold a regular panel meeting to approve eligible applications.

To protect sensitive information, the bill extends authorization for closed sessions related to these expedited reviews and explicitly provides that the panel members assigned to expedited review are not considered a state body under the Bagley‑Keene Open Meeting Act through the interim period, a status that becomes operative only until January 1, 2028. The bill also states that the panel may withdraw approval with written notice outlining concerns and a cure period, and that approval may be reinstated if the concerns are resolved to the panel’s reasonable satisfaction. In addition, the panel must inform the Attorney General of heads of approved projects that are entitled to receive quantities of cannabis under related provisions, where applicable, and the bill includes legislative findings explaining the rationale for limited public access to meetings and records.

The measure requires ongoing reporting and accountability: the panel must annually report to the Legislature and the Governor on approved projects, including the nature of each project, whether it was approved under the expedited process, and, where available, the study’s conclusions. It also imposes a backlog reporting obligation by a specified date, detailing the number of applications reviewed and those still pending. The package remains in effect with a sunset around early 2028, and, in the interim, it maintains a framework that expands the panel’s authority to review and approve certain Schedule I/II research while providing confidential handling and limited public-access exemptions. The bill does not include an appropriation and its fiscal implications would be subject to the Legislature’s review through the normal committee process.