DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill Wednesday that would allow for the legal, medical use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms,” in state-approved psychiatric treatment programs.

House File 978 was passed by the Iowa House in 2025. The measure as passed by the House proposes establishing a Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. But Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, who floor managed the measure in the House, said at the Senate subcommittee meeting Wednesday he planned to introduce an amendment to the bill that would add oversight of psilocybin to the existing Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board, changing the body’s name and adding four additional experts on the substance to the panel.

Wills said he referenced laws establishing similar boards in Utah and Arizona while writing the legislation, in addition to using the framework created by the state’s Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board while drafting the legislation.

The measure would also grant licenses for both production and administration of psilocybin products for individuals with certain mental health needs, alongside setting new restrictions on accessing the substance,  including an age restriction of 21 and limit of 5,000 patients who can be recommended psilocybin treatment.

Though it was not taken up by the Senate last year, it has remained eligible for consideration as a bill discussed during the two-year window of the 91st General Assembly.

Advocates speaking in favor of the bill said psilocybin has been found effective — when used in clinical environments with psychiatric support — to help people dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. During House debate on the bill in 2025, Wills said he believed this treatment could provide an avenue for veterans and others dealing with PTSD who have not found success with currently available treatments.

Wills told senators Wednesday that from speaking with veterans and experts, his understanding is that psilocybin taken in a medical setting can help people form new reactions to stimulus and events that are PTSD triggers. Lobbyists with national veterans organizations including Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions and the ALEC Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force spoke in favor of the bill, saying similar programs have been implemented successfully in other states and recent studies show that these treatments are effective.

Wills said he and other supporters were concerned that waiting for federal approval could prevent veterans with PTSD, at higher risk of suicide in comparison to the average population, from accessing care that could help resolve mental health problems.

The amended legislation would also allow the board to consider expansion in future years to allow psilocybin use for other mental health disorders that the drug has proved effective in treating, given sufficient research and medical support. These expansions would require legislative approval, Wills said.

Though the measure moved forward, senators on the subcommittee said they still had questions about the bill — and about psilocybin as a substance.