Overview

• After Monday’s hearing, the Senate Appropriations Committee placed AB 495 on suspension to weigh fiscal impacts, delaying an immediate floor vote.
• The bill would let a designated caregiver enroll a child in school and authorize medical and dental care using a caregiver authorization affidavit.
• It provides "good faith" protections for caregivers and providers acting on the affidavit when they were unaware of a parent’s contrary wishes.
• Opponents argue the form allows action without a parent’s signature or robust verification, while children’s-rights groups and the Los Angeles City Council have endorsed the measure.
• If taken off suspension, the proposal would go to a Senate floor vote before the Sept. 12 deadline, with any gubernatorial decision due by Oct. 12.