Not only did the bill author, Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando), refuse to strengthen parental protections, but she amended the bill to ensure that parents would be cut further out of their children's medical and educational decisions. Making matters worse, a long list of co-authors signed onto AB 495, including Senators Wahab (D-Fremont), Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Limón (D-Santa Barbara), Menjivar (D- Van Nuys), Richardson (D-Inglewood), and Wiener (D-San Francisco), and Assembly members Addis (D-san Luis Obispo), Ahrens (D-Cupertino), Aguiar-Curry (D-Napa), Bennett (D-Oxnard), Calderon (D-City Of Industry), Carrillo (D-Palmdale), Garcia (D-Rancho Cucamonga), Mark González (D-Los Angeles), and Ortega (D-Hayward). Their names on this bill show they are siding with government overreach instead of parental rights.

How the Bill Was Made Worse

While AB 495 was in the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rodriguez, amended the Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit form within the bill to include this statement not once, but three times: "This form is not required to be notarized."

While current law does not mandate notarization, requiring it would provide an additional safeguard. A notarized affidavit would ensure accountability that the individual claiming authority over a child is, in fact, who they say they are. Many institutions already require notarization for security reasons, but AB 495 is designed to stop them from doing so.

This change underscores the bill's true intent: to force schools and medical facilities to accept a caregiver's affidavit without question. Even more troubling, the form itself already violates constitutionally protected parental rights, since it allows almost anyone to claim a connection to a child without requiring verification. That person could then make crucial medical or educational decisions reserved for parents and legal guardians; decisions that could be made without a parent's consent or even knowledge.

The reality is simple: if someone other than a parent or legal guardian is empowered to make decisions for a child, parental rights are being stripped away, even if parents technically retain custody on paper.

The Real Purpose of AB 495

Supporters of AB 495 insist that parents are not being excluded, but the bill's language and its practical impact prove otherwise. CFC has documented how legal experts agree that this bill undermines parental rights despite the author's denials. Thousands of parents rallied at the State Capitol in recent weeks because they saw clearly what lawmakers are trying to hide: AB 495 is about expanding the state's power over families and weakening parents' authority.

By ensuring that the affidavit cannot be notarized and by preventing schools or healthcare providers from requiring a parent's signature, the bill creates a system where strangers, acquaintances, or distant relatives can claim authority over children. This is not "helping families." It is dismantling them.

What Happens Next

AB 495 will soon be voted on by all 120 legislators; first in the 40-member State Senate, and then in the Assembly for a concurrence vote. This will happen within the next two weeks. If that happens, only Governor Gavin Newsom can stop its passage.

As C.S. Lewis once warned, "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive." AB 495 is being sold as "helpful" to children and illegal immigrant parents, but it is, in reality, a heavy-handed form of government tyranny against parents. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

About California Family Council

California Family Council works to advance God's design for life, family, and liberty through California's Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California's moral and social foundation.

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