House committee advances bill to allow Tennessee institutions to join FDA ibogaine trials

The Tennessee House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 22 advanced House Bill 2075, voting 25-0 with one present not voting to send the measure, as amended, to Calendar and Rules. The bill, as described by its sponsor, would provide legal authority and protections for Tennessee research institutions, health-care providers and patients to participate in federally approved Food and Drug Administration clinical trials studying ibogaine for opioid use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Chairman Terry, the bill sponsor, told the committee that Tennessee faces high rates of opioid use disorder diagnosis and urged lawmakers to clear legal pathways for participation in clinical research. "Tennessee is ranked number one in opioid use disorder diagnosis rate and we're triple the national average," he said, adding that a recent presidential executive order had directed federal agencies to prioritize research into treatments such as ibogaine.

The committee first considered and adopted an amendment that rewrote the bill (drafting code 018655). After the amendment was adopted, Representative Shaw called the question and the clerk recorded the final vote: 25 ayes, 0 noes, 1 present not voting. The clerk announced that House Bill 2075, as amended, moves on to Calendar and Rules.

The bill's sponsor framed the measure as a research-enabling statute rather than a change to controlled-substance scheduling; the committee took no final action beyond advancing the bill to the next legislative stage. The next procedural step is consideration by the Calendar and Rules committee.