California pastor calls on parents to protest ‘dangerous’ bill threatening parental rights
Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills has called on parents to oppose an Assembly Bill that, in some critics’ view, potentially enables legal kidnapping
by Summer Lane | August 11, 2025
A California bill has sparked massive controversy this month due to its potentially far-reaching implications for parental rights, prompting a Southern California pastor to call on state residents to rally against the legislation.
The bill, AB 495, was proposed and passed in the California Assembly and is aimed at ensuring that the children of detained illegal immigrants are moved into the custody of an approved guardian, but its ambiguous wording and broad parameters have drawn significant criticism.
According to the California Family Council:
“The ‘Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025’ would allow unrelated adults, broadly defined as an ‘adult caregiver’ with a ‘mentoring relationship with the child’ to assume custody-like control over a child through a one-page Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit. No court appearance. No notarization. No parental consent or notification. No background check. No verification of identity required.”
Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Hills Chapel Chino Hills has spoken strongly against this bill, describing it as “the most dangerous bill we’ve ever seen.”
“This bill would allow any non-related adult, a neighbor, teacher, ex-relative, or even a complete stranger, to take custody of your child without your knowledge or consent,” he wrote on X. “No background check. No court order. No parent’s signature. Just a piece of paper.”
The bill was authored by Democrat Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez. She has argued that the legislation creates a “safety net” for “immigrant and mixed status” families in California.
“AB 495 gives families the legal tools to protect their children, over 10 million children have an immigrant parent. The state has a moral obligation to act and we will,” she said in a statement.
However, critics of the bill are concerned that the assumption of custody-like control over children in California is too far-reaching and could be used for any child in the school system, for virtually any reason.
During comments last week, Hibbs ominously warned California parents that, if the bill is signed into law, “I am going to ask you to leave the state of California.”
He added, “You’re going to need to pack up and you’re going to have to get out.”
Hibbs’ organization, “Real Impact,” is partnering with the Capital Resource Institute to rally together and protest this bill at the Sacramento State Capitol on August 19.
The rally will begin at 1 p.m. PT on the West Side Capitol Steps, according to Real Impact.
The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations in early July and is awaiting a hearing.
