Assembly Bill 495 (AB 495), often referred to as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025″—was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 12, 2024, and it went into effect on January 1, 2026. Below is a structured look at the law, the specific people who will now parent children of the deported, and the controversy surrounding it. Keep in mind that this is a New World Order agenda where parental rights will be revoked for all parents. Today its with immigrants but tomorrow…

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California’s AB 495: Trusted Adults?

The primary purpose of AB 495, authored by Assembly member Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando), is to prevent children from being funneled into the foster care system if their parents are detained or deported.¹ The law essentially expands the circle of “trusted adults” who can care for these children.²

Under the new law, parents can designate caregivers through two primary legal tools:³

• Expanded Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavits: Previously, only close relatives could sign these to enroll a child in school or authorize medical care.⁴ AB 495 expands “relative” to include any adult related by blood, adoption, or affinity within the fifth degree of kinship.⁵ This includes:
  • Great-grandparents⁶
  • Cousins
  • Great-aunts and great-uncles⁷
  • Nieces and nephews
• Temporary Joint Guardianship: The law creates a new probate process where a parent can nominate a “joint guardian” while they are still in the country. This person is empowered to act only when an “activating event” occurs—such as the parent being detained or deported—allowing the parent to maintain their legal rights while ensuring the child has a stable home.⁸

Cited Sources and Legal Framework

“The Family Preparedness Plan Act provides families with clear, legally recognized options to ensure caregiving continuity during family separations…⁹ identifying and arranging supportive and stable caregiving when families are separated” (Alliance for Children’s Rights, 2025).

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California’s AB 495: “Sex Trafficker’s Dream”?

While proponents argue the bill is an act of “chesed” (loving-kindness) for the vulnerable, the bill faced a “firestorm” of opposition from conservative and religious leaders.¹⁰ Critics, including Pastor Jack Hibbs and various parental rights organizations, argued that the bill’s language was dangerously broad.¹¹

The controversy largely centered on:

• The “Unreachable” Clause: Opponents argued that the law allows caregivers to sign affidavits if a parent is “unable to contact,” which they feared could be exploited by adults seeking to “claim” children without adequate oversight or background checks.¹²
• Parental Erasure: Some activists claimed the bill weakened the biblical and constitutional authority of parents by allowing the state to recognize non-traditional kinship ties over the immediate nuclear family.¹³

In response to these concerns, the bill was amended before its final passage to remove “nonrelative extended family members” (like neighbors or mentors) and limit the expanded affidavit strictly to blood and kinship relatives.¹⁴

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Scriptural Reflection: Protecting the “Least of These”

When looking at this through the lens of the Complete Jewish Bible, we are reminded of our responsibility to the orphan and the vulnerable. While the law is a secular tool, it mirrors the heart of the Torah in seeking to provide a “refuge” for children who lose their primary protectors.

As it is written:

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” — Tehillim (Psalms) 82:3 (CJB)

For the families in your audience, the bill represents a tension between two values: the protection of the family unit from state overreach and the necessity of providing a safety net for children in the midst of a “storm.”

Ph

https://calvarychapelmagazine.org/articles/stop-ab495-jack-hibbs