Dear Valued PJI Friends and Supporters,
We need your immediate action to oppose California Bill AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025, a dangerous piece of legislation that threatens the safety of our children and undermines parental rights in this state. This bill is scheduled for a critical hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 18, 2025, and we must act swiftly to make our voices heard.
Why AB 495 is a Threat to Our Families:
1. Risk of Child Trafficking and Exploitation: AB 495 allows virtually anyone claiming a so-called “mentoring relationship” with a child to become the child’s legal caregiver by signing a single-page Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit. This form requires no notarization, no parental consent, and no background checks—creating a dangerous loophole for child traffickers and kidnappers to gain control over vulnerable children with minimal state oversight.
2. Erosion of Parental Authority: This bill permits non-relatives to make critical decisions about a child’s education and medical care, including mental health treatments, without parental knowledge or approval. Parents could lose their fundamental rights to direct their child’s upbringing, as the affidavit process bypasses traditional guardianship safeguards like court oversight.
3. Vague and Overbroad Provisions: The bill’s definition of “non-relative extended family member” is alarmingly vague, potentially applying to virtually anyone with a claimed connection to a child. Unlike foster care systems, which mandate rigorous vetting (such as background checks, fingerprinting, home visits), AB 495 offers no such protections, putting vulnerable children at risk.
4. Not Limited to Immigration Emergencies: While proponents claim AB 495 is necessary to address immigration-related parental separations (such as deportation), its language applies to all children, regardless of context. The provision allowing guardianship when “parents cannot be located” is overly vague and ripe for abuse, enabling misuse in non-immigration scenarios without requiring proof of an immigration emergency.
5. A Step Toward State-Sanctioned Harm: Without clear restrictions or accountability, AB 495 could facilitate exploitation under the guise of state approval, endangering the very children it claims to protect. This is a reckless overreach that prioritizes ideology over child safety.
