Overview

• After an Aug. 18 hearing, the Senate Appropriations Committee moved AB 495 to suspension, delaying further action for fiscal analysis with next steps uncertain ahead of the Sept. 12 deadline for bill passage.
• Authored by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez, the measure would let courts appoint a custodial parent and a nominated adult as joint guardians during a parent’s temporary unavailability, including immigration-related detention.
• The bill also expands caregiver authority to nonrelative extended family members, allowing school enrollment and consent for routine medical and dental care via a caregiver authorization affidavit.
• The one-page affidavit requires only basic identification, does not require a parent’s signature for schools or health providers, and provides good-faith liability protections for caregivers and providers.
• Supporters including children’s advocacy groups and the Los Angeles City Council frame the bill as child-protective, while parental-rights groups warn of loopholes and urge added safeguards or amendments.