Empowering “Family Friends” In California

     The California Legislature Grand Soviet is considering a bill, AB 495, involving custody of children who may have a parent subject to Federal immigration issues.   However, snuck in there is a provision expanding power over a child to “nonrelative extended family member[s]” who are empowered to “authorize medical care and dental care for the minor”.   Needless to say, in California “medical care” includes puberty blockers and transgender surgery. Furthermore, this directed “medical care” can not be rescinded by the state:

“The affidavit shall be valid until the parent, legal guardian, person having legal custody, or caregiver rescinds the affidavit.”

     But a parent could rescind this, right? Not if they’ve been deported. But even if the parent hasn’t been deported—or even legally deportable—these directive would stand indefinitely if the parent isn’t told about them! This act explicitly “imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access” with immigration being the fig leaf excuse. Oh, and proof of guardianship is not necessary: “A parent’s signature or seal or signature of the court is not required.”

     And just who are these “Nonrelative extended family member”?

“‘Nonrelative extended family member’ means any adult caregiver who has an established familial or mentoring relationship with the child or who has an established familial relationship with a relative of the child.”

     Further, nonrelative extended family members explicitly include:

“Extended relative, teacher/counselor, medical professional, clergy/godparent, neighbor, family friend, previously lived with or cared for the child, previously lived with or cared for a relative of the child.

“[…]

“‘Nonrelative extended family member’ for the purposes of item 6, means an adult caregiver who has an established familial relationship with a relative of the child, or a familial or mentoring relationship with the child. The parties may include, but are not limited to, teachers, medical professionals, clergy, neighbors, and family friends.”

     Now, a true family friend or neighbor may certainly gain legal guardianship through existing legal procedures and attendant requirements, but these requirements in this bill are so watered down as to be practically no existent. All a person has to do is show up with a kid, declare themselves a “family friend”, and then sign up said kid for “medical” care which is inclusive of gender transition treatments! This is clearly a backdoor way of circumventing parental rights.

     Some remember those old PSAs that showed a stranger driving up to a kid saying the kids parents are in the hospital and that they were “family friends” or similar, all in order to trick the kid into being kidnapped. This is like that except with the government aiding and abetting.

     Regardless of how much you may think that the current Administration’s tactics and policies regarding immigration are beyond that pale, that can not ever be a justifiable fig leaf for sterilizing and mutilating kids in the name of healthcare.

     The bill can be read here, or below as of time of posting of this article.

California AB 496 (2025) as of 2025-07-27 by ThePoliticalHat