CALIFORNIA'S BAD BILLS ARE ON THE MOVE.
Do not let up on contacting legislators on these bills via phone, and our Action campaigns. They can be voted on floor at anytime this week.
Under the guise of gender affirmation for minors, several bills that remove parental rights have been steamrolling through the legislature. Trojan horse bills (AB 223, AB 665, AB 957) will be eligible for a vote on the Senate floor ready for a vote at anytime. SB 407 has been referred to Assembly Appropriation Committee waiting for a hearing date.
With a bait and switch by Assemblymember Jackson to get it passed out of the Assembly, AB 1078 was gutted and amended to put back everything that was taken out and more. It has passed out of Senate Education and has been assigned to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 1078 (Jackson)
Instructional materials and curriculum:
This bill would remove local school districts from the equation of deciding the best literature and curriculum for the communities served.
Local school districts will lose their authority over curriculum and give all the power to the County Superintendent and California Board of Education. It includes financial penalties to school districts who don’t comply.
Action Steps:
Contact the Senate Appropriations Members*
To oppose use the AB 1078 One Click Action link
Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal today.
Call the Senate appropriations members.
Sample Script: You must oppose AB 1078. This bill creates a massive new state-mandated local program that will be reimbursable by the state at a time when the state faces massive multi-billion-dollar deficits and sharp dis-enrollment. This will be compounded by further dis-enrollment by parents and guardians who refuse to allow their children to continue to be exposed to materials they do not believe are appropriate or healthy for them to consume.
AB 665 Minors: consent to mental health services. (Asm. Wendy Carrillo, Senator Scott Wiener)
Would strip parents from their right to care for their child without any allegations – let alone proof – of abuse, incest, or dangers, as is currently required by law.
Action Steps:
Contact the Senate Members*
To oppose use the AB 655 One Click Action Link
Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal today.
Call the Senate members.
Sample script: AB 665 intentionally removes the “danger guardrails” of Family Code 6924, which require an allegation of danger to a minor before the minor may consent without parental consent to residential shelter. What facts or public policy support the removal of those specific danger guardrails from Family Code 6924, enacted in 1979? I urge you to either vote no or have the author gut and amend AB 665. Leave Family Code 6924 alone. Instead, amend Welfare & Institutions 14029.8 to remove the word “not.” This will immediately enable Medi-Cal benefits for disadvantaged kids to receive counseling for any reason under Health & Safety Code 124260. You can preserve your goal without removing safety guardrails.
or Please oppose or abstain on AB665. AB665 intentionally removes the “danger guardrails” of Family Code 6924, which require an allegation of danger to a minor before the minor may consent without parental consent to residential shelter. What facts or public policy support the removal of those specific danger guardrails from Family Code 6924, enacted in 1979? I urge you to either vote no or have the author gut and amend AB 665. Leave Family Code 6924 alone. Instead, amend Welfare & Institutions 14029.8 to remove the word “not.” This will immediately enable Medi-Cal benefits for disadvantaged kids to receive counseling for any reason under Health & Safety Code 124260. You can preserve your goal without removing safety guardrails.
AB 957 Family law: gender identity (Asm. Wilson, Sen. Wiener)
Codifies (makes law) that affirming a child’s self-selected gender identity is always part of a child’s health, safety and welfare. AB957 would compel courts, in deciding custody awards, to view affirming the child’s gender identity is in the best interests of the child.
Action Steps:
To oppose use the AB 957 One Click Action Link
Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal today.
Call the Senate Members
Sample Script: Please oppose or abstain on AB 957. What if the child is not prepared to publicly announce his or her transition? What if the child is not able to do so in a court or during an official judicial proceeding? How is this in the best interests of the child, especially when this bill applies to children of all ages, not just, e.g. 12 and up?
or
Please oppose or abstain on AB957. Affirming a child’s self-selected gender identity cannot physically, logically, or possibly be in the best interests of every child of the 9+M living in California, or support every one of those children’s health, safety or welfare. There must be at least one child who should not be affirmed. This is especially true considering these are children in the throes of a divorce, where there is a custody battle being waged over them. Isn’t it possible that, in this context, the child’s entire identity is being shattered and the gender dysmorphia is the result of some other stressor or pressure, not a sincere desire to change sexes? Mandating affirmation means that a parent will be precluded from investigating these other issues and providing their child potentially life-saving treatment and care. Please vote no on this horrible bill.
Talking points:
California would become the first state in the nation to criminalize and penalize parents who do not affirm their children.
Changes the Family Law creating a path for CPS (Child Protective Services), law enforcement, and the courts to award custody to the parent who affirms gender identity.
If a parent does not affirm their child’s gender it may be considered abusive, cutting off this parent from all ties with the child and no control to change this.
There is NO age limit for which this bill applies. If a 5-year-old believes he or she is in the wrong body, this law will make it child abuse not to affirm the child’s gender identity.
The bill redefines and amends the Family Code Family Code, section 3011, exploiting custody battles to redefine “health, welfare, and safety.”
This bill essentially makes it illegal to NOT give minors sex changes, gender affirming treatment, and surgeries in California making it so that parents would lose custody if they don't go along.
AB 223 Change of gender and sex identifier (Asm. Christopher Ward, Senator Scott Wiener)
Will allow any adult in custody of a minor child to change the child’s name, sex identifier, and/or gender in secret.
Action Steps:
Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal today.
To oppose use the one click action link AB 223
Sample Script: Please oppose or abstain on AB 223 Change of gender and sex identifier bill. By removing due process of sealing minor's records. This opens the doorway to child trafficking by allowing any adult to file the petition to erase minors legal identifiers.
or
Please oppose or abstain on AB 223. Allowing adults to file petitions on behalf of minors confidentially, opens the doorway to kidnapping by the consenting parent, abuse and even trafficking.
SB 407 Foster care: resource families.(Senators Wiener, Low, Lee)
going to Assembly Appropriations
Will disqualify over 60% of eligible foster families due to their religious beliefs, which preclude them from affirming a child’s gender issues.
Action Steps:
Contact Assembly Appropriations*
Submit your letter of opposition to legislative portal today.
To oppose use the AB 407 One Click Action Link
Sample Script:
SB407 is a bill that would make affirmation of a self-selected gender a determining factor regarding foster care placement. With limited availability of candidates to provide foster care and with the overwhelming rate of foster children being people of color and at risk youth, limiting the pool of candidates who can foster a child will have negative consequences for these children. Please oppose SB407.
or
Please oppose or abstain on SB407. The law already requires foster parents to receive training on sexual orientation and gender identity. SB407 takes existing law a step further by requiring candidates to swear their allegiance to gender affirmation, even before they know their foster child’s age or unique physical, psychological and/or emotional needs. With limited numbers of eligible foster care candidates, requiring a majority to act contrary to their faith - or even personal moral, philosophical beliefs - is dangerous and unwarranted. Additionally, the overwhelming rate of foster children are people of color and at risk youth. Limiting the pool of candidates will unfairly and disproportionately impact these vulnerable communities, while simultaneously discriminating against candidates based upon their religious beliefs. SB407 is an unconstitutional, unnecessary, cruel and dangerous bill.