Afterstate bill briefing, GUSD officials outline safeguards for caregiver affidavits under AB 495
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Summary
Superintendent Cortez briefed the board on Assembly Bill 495 (family preparedness) and described district verification steps—contacting parents, requesting documentation and involving liaisons or law enforcement—after trustees raised concerns about unauthorized pick‑ups.
During the superintendent—riefing on Dec. 11 the board reviewed Assembly Bill 495 (Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025), which expands the types of adults who may be listed as caregivers for students when parents are unavailable.
Superintendent Cortez said the bill "opened up the scope of who can be a caregiver for our students" but said the district has procedures to verify claims before releasing children. "Our first step is the district contacts the parents or guardians on file to confirm that this child lives with the caregiver listed in the affidavit," Cortez said. He added the district "may request reasonable documentation, for example, utility bills, lease to verify the caregiver's residency." Cortez also told trustees that if parents cannot be reached staff may involve law enforcement.
Trustees expressed concern about potential misuse. One trustee asked directly whether a notarized affidavit would suffice to take a child if a parent cannot be reached; the superintendent answered that notarization increases the likelihood of acceptance but emphasized the district—onducts additional verification and that "the affidavit alone does not authorize that person to take the child." Staff confirmed that if verification fails the district will not release the student and will seek law enforcement assistance.
Trustees suggested technological and procedural safeguards: photo profiles for authorized caregivers and record keeping; superintendent and staff noted the district already uses an extensive camera system and front office liaisons to identify regular pickup patterns and blind spots.
Superintendent Cortez said the district will make explanatory materials available to families and that explanatory briefings and the attorney brief on the statute would be available to the board and the public on request within 72 hours.
The discussion concluded with a direction to continue public education for parents about emergency caregiver planning and to evaluate whether additional technology or vendor services could simplify caregiver verification.
