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Kern County Board of Education votes to oppose AB 495, citing parental-rights and safety concerns
Summary
The Kern County Board of Education on Aug. 2025 adopted a resolution opposing Assembly Bill 495 (Family Unit/Preparedness Act), citing concerns about vague language, lack of background checks and potential for abuse; the board directed staff to send the signed resolution to the bill author, state legislators and the governor.
The Kern County Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution opposing Assembly Bill 495, the so-called Family Unit/Preparedness Act, at its August 2025 meeting.
Trustee Laurie Cisneros introduced a resolution (adapted from a Chino Valley template) that said AB 495 would allow non-parent adults to gain temporary legal authority over children through a caregiver affidavit without court hearings, background checks or routine notifications to parents. In presenting the resolution, Cisneros said the bill’s wording is “so scary” and “puts children at such a dangerous risk,” and urged the board to oppose the measure and quickly notify state leaders.
Public commenters who spoke before the board reinforced those concerns. Jess Sanders said AB 495 “is written so that it just opens up Pandora’s box for child molesters, child traffickers” and called the bill “poorly written.” Dennis McLean and other speakers warned that the affidavit process could be abused to remove children from parental custody and that schools could be placed in a legally fraught position.
Board members debated the resolution’s legal framing and next steps. After a motion and second, the board approved the resolution by voice vote with no recorded opposition and instructed staff to distribute signed copies to the bill’s author, the California Legislature and the governor’s office.
The board’s action was procedural (a local policy stance) rather than a legal challenge; no court filing or injunction was authorized in the meeting minutes. The board also asked staff to email superintendents and other county boards to encourage similar actions and to post the resolution publicly once signatures are affixed.
What happens next: the resolution will be circulated to Sacramento and other local districts, per the board’s direction. The bill’s next scheduled committee action was referenced as the Assembly Appropriations Committee vote on Aug. 18; the board discussed the possibility the measure could be continued to a two-year bill but took the immediate step of formal opposition.
