The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted on Oct. 7 to request that Governor Gavin Newsom veto Assembly Bill 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, after a split and substantive discussion about how the bill would change caregiver authorization and short-term guardianship rules for children.

Deputy CEO Gil Rebelar summarized AB 495, telling the board the bill was intended to provide tools to reduce disruption when a parent becomes temporarily unavailable because of arrest, detention or a medical emergency. Rebelar said the measure standardizes caregiver authorization affidavits, updates documents schools and providers might accept, and creates a short-term, court-activated joint guardianship pathway. He also noted concerns some local agencies raised about verification mechanics, implementation timelines, staff training needs and potential unfunded workload impacts.

Speakers for and against AB 495 argued from different perspectives. Patricia Carrillo said the bill would keep children with known family or family-like caregivers rather than in receiving centers, calling the change "heartfelt" and urging supervisors to support the bill. By contrast, Cyrus (Sayers) Morris, chair of the county Republican Central Committee, urged a "No" voter stance on Prop 50 earlier in the meeting and expressed concerns about rural representation; during the AB 495 discussion, board members highlighted the need for verification and for existing Welfare and Institutions Code protections.

Paul Yanos, Director of Social Services, told the board that current practice already prioritizes placing children with kin and that the county has high rates of family placements. Yanos explained that when social services respond to a school or hospital referral, the department evaluates safety and relatives as the first option. He stressed that when a safety issue exists the court and dependency process must be used and that existing law already provides vetting mechanisms.

Supervisor Ryan Kelly moved that the board request the governor to veto AB 495; Supervisor Peggy Price seconded. The motion carried. The transcript reflects a divided board and a later exchange where supervisors discussed whether the board letter should explicitly note the vote was 3-2; the chair said the board acts by majority, while another supervisor requested the letter state the divided vote. The board ultimately instructed staff to prepare the letter requesting a veto.

Supporters of the bill who addressed the board framed AB 495 as a child-protection and family-stability measure that reduces the trauma of foster placement by enabling trusted caregivers or relatives to step in quickly; opponents worried about documents being accepted without sufficient verification, the risk of placing children in unsafe homes, and the potential for expanded duties and unfunded training costs for school and county staff.

Notes: The transcript shows extensive public comment and a careful exchange about the intersection of AB 495 with existing Welfare and Institutions Code procedures; staff and the director of social services emphasized current county practice favors kin placement and existing vetting processes.