Bad Bills Veto Toolkit

AB 665

CONSENT TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (WIENER, CARILLO) – MOST DANGEROUS BILL

Legal emancipation of minors 12 and up. Removes the requirement that children must be a danger to themselves or others, or the alleged victims of incest or abuse, before they can move out of their homes and into government “residential shelters” without their parents’ or guardians’ knowledge or consent. Expands the definition of “professional person” – who determines which children can receive services and whether or not to involve parents in that care – to include apprentices, interns, trainees, unlicensed mental health professionals, and even administrators running the shelter. Authors Senator Wiener and Assemblywoman Carrillo – neither of whom have children – claim AB665 will “align” two laws and allow Medi-Cal minors to receive free mental health services; however, AB665, instead, removes almost-50-year-old “guardrails” that ensure only at risk children are removed from their homes – and abusive parents’ / guardians’ rights jeopardized – and is not the most direct, legal solution to the problem, which is to – instead – repeal or amend the Code section that denies Medi-Cal kids coverage for these services. (Welfare & Institutions Code, section 14029.8).

Status of Bill:  Governor’s DESK

AB 1078

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND CURRICULUM (JACKSON)

This bill will allow the State Department of Education to dictate what curricula and materials every school district must use. School boards that refuse will be fined, investigated, defunded, and potentially sued. This removes local school boards from the equation of deciding what materials and curricula are best for their communities based upon the input they receive directly from community members. School boards and districts will lose their authority and all the power will be centralized in the County Superintendent and California Board of Education, including its Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, who has launched a personal campaign against involved parents who want to know what is going on with their children while they are at school. 

Status of Bill:  Urgency clause adopted. Governor’s DESK

SB 596

SCHOOL EMPLOYEES: PROTECTION (PORTANTINO)

Will jail and fine parents up to one (1) year in jail and up to one-thousand dollars ($1,000.) for (a) causing “substantial disorder” at any school board, board or Department of Education meeting, or (b) makes a “credible threat” or “harasses” a school employee. The bill claims to exclude constitutionally-protected activities, and is duplicative of existing laws the prohibit threats, stalking, harassment, disruptions of local board meetings, “fighting words,” etc. and was designed to – and will – silence parents who are passionately speaking out to defend their children’s innocence and improve their quality of education.

Status of Bill:  Governor’s DESK.

AB 659

CANCER PREVENTION ACT (AGUIAR-CURRY)

Will require schools to notify students, directly, and their parents / guardians before admissions or advancement into 6th grade (private or public) of the State’s “recommendation” that all students be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (“HPV”) before admissoin or advancement into 18th grade. The notification will also parrot misstatements of fact, medicine, and science by the ACIP (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Academy of Family Physicians regarding HPV and the vaccine, as well as the following lie: “HPV vaccination can prevent over 90 percent of cancers caused by HPV. HPV vaccines are very safe, and scientific research shows that the benefits of HPV vaccination far outweigh the potential risks.”

Status of the bill: Governor’s Desk.

AB 957

FAMILY LAW: GENDER IDENTITY (WIENER, WILSON) – VETOD 9/22/23!

*This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 3011 of the Family Code proposed by SB 599 to be operative only if this bill and SB 599 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

AB 957 makes affirmation law. It will amend Family Code section 3011 to define “health, safety, and well-being” of a child as including affirmation of that child’s self-selected gender identity or expression, whatever that might look like, at whatever age, and regardless of what other mental health issues the child is experiencing in the midst of their parents’ / guardians’ custody dispute. According the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, the bill’s intent is to remove “discretion” from judges in awarding custody; judges will be forced to prefer the “affirming parent.” The bill is extremely – and dangerously – illegal, unconstitutional, and ambiguous and will be struck down; however, in the meantime, risks serious abuses of process that will jeopardize children’s health, safety and well-being and parents’ fundamental and constitutionally-protected rights to direct the upbringing of their children, leaving the most vulnerable children at risk of abuse and further harm. Read more

Status of Bill:   VETOED 9/22/23.

SB 407 

FOSTER CARE: RESOURCE FAMILIES (WIENER, LEE, LOW) – GUTTED AND AMENDED, SIGNED INTO LAW.

No longer requires foster families to sign a document promising to affirm. Rather, requires potential resource families to demonstrate “An ability and willingness to meet the needs of the child regardless of the child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and that, should difficulties around these issues arise, a willingness to obtain resources offered by the county or foster family agency or other available resources to meet those needs,” and to receive training regarding the same. 

In California today there are far more foster kids needing a home than there are foster families available to foster them.  Under current law, there is a thorough assessment and vetting process for establishing the eligibility of individuals or families to foster. SB 407 will further complicate and create barriers to otherwise qualified and willing foster families to fostering needy kids by bringing the issues of  gender identification and affirmation into fostering requirements; however, we are thankful eligible families and individuals will not be forced to violate their religious beliefs, values, morals, or ethics, or their legal obligations to provide care their foster children actually need by being forced to sign a contract that they will automatically affirm, regardless of the child’s age, psychological, emotional, or physical needs, or historical trauma.

Status of Bill: Signed into law.

AB 223

CHANGE OF GENDER AND SEX IDENTIFIER (WARD) – SIGNED INTO LAW. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BILL. NEED TO SUE TO STRIKE DOWN. 

Will allow any adult to file any petition for a change of name, gender, and/or sex identifier for a minor confidentially. The bill was amended to allow parents, guardians, granparents, and attorneys to access these records; however, presumes they find out about the petition. Also, completely strips parents/guardians of their fundamental, constitutionally-protected Due Process rights – (1) notice your rights as parents are about to be terminated, your child is changing their name, gender, sex ID, and (2) an opportunity to be heard before this happens – and right to direct the nurture and upbringing of their child.

Status of Bill: Signed into law.

AB 5

THE SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS ACT (ZBUR) – SIGNED INTO LAW. 

Will require schools serving pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to give at least one hour of training annually to teachers and other certificated employees, and to maintain records documenting the training, on how to (1) identify [profile, interrogate, ask invasive, illegal and inappropriate questions of] gender-curious students and their families to determine whether or not they affirm their child’s gender identity, (2) identify and implement “inclusive” curriculum, and (3) provide counseling services for LGBTQ youth.

Status of Bill:  Signed into law.