Legislative Updates: SB 596 Plows Ahead; A New Bill Aims to Nuke Parental Rights

The Assault on Families Continues Apace

Last month we brought to your attention a disturbing new bill in California authored by State Senator Anthony Portantino — SB 596 — that we called the “Portantino Parent Silencing Bill.” Since that article was published, the bill was placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 8, 2023, mostly in response to a flurry of angry emails received from California parents and other concerned citizens. However, as is often the case, after the initial furor died down, the bill was re-heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee less than two weeks later, passed by a vote of 5 Yeas — Ashby (D), Bradford (D), Portantino (D), Wahab (D), Wiener (D) — to 2 Nays — Jones (R) & Seyarto (R) — then quickly referred to the Senate floor where it passed 30-8 on a strictly party line vote on May 24, 2023. The bill now moves to the State Assembly, where it was referred to the Assembly Education and Public Safety Committees last Thursday, June 01, 2023. None of the concerns voiced by parents about SB 596 were addressed in the Senate — the bill text remains in the same form as last amended on March 30, 2023.

Though a hearing date before the Assembly Education Committee has not been set yet, concerned parents should consider sending a position letter to the legislature through the California Legislature’s Position Letter Portal :

https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/

You can also contact Education Committee members directly through their legislative staff to express your concerns and ask questions:

Al Muratsuchi (Democrat) – staff emails:

bryan.singh@asm.ca.gov, kerry.jacob@asm.ca.gov, amy.arzate@asm.ca.gov, melissa.ramoso@asm.ca.gov

Megan Dahle (Republican) – staff emails:

erik.brahms@asm.ca.gov, doria.wallentine@asm.ca.gov, katie.maung@asm.ca.gov, alice.bennett@asm.ca.gov

Juan Carrillo (Democrat) – official email:

assemblymember.carrillo@assembly.ca.gov

Josh Hoover (Republican) – official email:

assemblymember.hoover@assembly.ca.gov

Alex Lee (Democrat) – staff emails:

Allison.Lim@asm.ca.gov, Andrew.White@asm.ca.gov, maria.montchal@asm.ca.gov, sophia.quach@asm.ca.gov

Kevin McCarty (Democrat) – staff emails:

maria.alvarez@asm.ca.gov, ismael.contreras@asm.ca.gov, simone.braithwaite@asm.ca.gov, jessica.lawrence@asm.ca.gov, genevieve.levy@asm.ca.gov

Sharon Quirk-Silva (Democrat) – staff emails:

jalene.romo@asm.ca.gov, michelle.teran@asm.ca.gov, patty.schapiro@asm.ca.gov, amy.ramos@asm.ca.gov

New Assembly Bill Aims to Separate Children from Their Parents

The assault on parental rights by California state legislators and their gender activist supporters has taken no pause. Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D) recently authored a new bill, co-sponsored by State Senator Scott Wiener (D), that takes aim at parental rights when it comes to directing the upbringing of children. Deceptively titled the “Mental Health Consent Parity for Medi-Cal Recipients” bill, AB 665 would allow mental health professionals to place California children in residential facilities upon a minor’s request, even if the children are not experiencing abuse or neglect at home. During the Assembly Judiciary Committee’s hearing on AB 665 on March 28, 2023, witnesses testifying against the bill said that the law would enable school counselors to send children as young as 12 years old straight to a group home if the children say their parents aren’t supportive of their “gender identities.” The bill is so bad that California parent advocacy group Our Duty has called AB 665 the “State Sanctioned Kidnapping Bill:”

Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in schools as a clinical supervisor and also in group homes testified against AB 665 because despite what it claims to do, it will actually be harmful to minors, “School counselors are being trained to keep secrets from parents and take on an anti-therapeutic, activist role. Instead of working with families, counselors are now dividing families, deliberately turning children against loving parents.”

While defenders of AB 665 insist that the bill only “removes barriers to mental health access for young people who are Medi-Cal recipients,” the bill’s own legislative language admits it lowers the barrier for government officials to remove children 12 and over from their family home:

“Existing law, for some purposes, authorizes a minor who is 12 years of age or older to consent to mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services, if the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in the outpatient services or residential shelter services, as specified, and either the minor would present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others or if the minor is the alleged victim of incest or child abuse. For other purposes, existing law authorizes a minor who is 12 years of age or older to consent to mental health treatment or counseling services if the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in the outpatient services or counseling services.

This bill would align the existing laws by removing the additional requirement that, in order to consent to mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services, the minor must present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others, or be the alleged victim of incest or child abuse.”

Understandably, news about AB 665 has elicited a flood of concern and questions to Sacramento. In response, the bill’s sponsors bypassed the normal bill process and skipped the Assembly Appropriations Committee and went straight to the Assembly floor after passing out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on March 28, 2023, where it passed 55-9, again along a straight party line vote. AB 665 is currently scheduled to be reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 13, 2023. Parents tracking the bill believe the Senate will follow the same deceptive process followed in the Assembly and again bypass the Appropriations Committee.

Why are AB 665’s sponsors breaking their own rules on passage of this destructive new bill? Clearly they want to avoid scrutiny and controversy. Concerned parents are encouraged to email and call the Senate Rules Committee to ask why AB 665 is not following the normal legislative process:

Toni G. Atkins (Chair) – Phone: (916) 651-4039, staffers:

nick.hardeman@sen.ca.gov, kimberly.rodriguez@sen.ca.gov

Shannon Grove (Vice Chair) – Phone: (916) 651-4012, staffers:

Lindsey.dietz@sen.ca.gov, Elizabeth.watson@sen.ca.gov

Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh – Phone: (916)-651-4023, staffers:

Sarah.counch@sen.ca.gov, Tanya.vanderick@sen.ca.gov

John Laird – Phone: (916) 651-4017, staffers:

richard.stapler@sen.ca.gov, michelle.reyes@sen.ca.gov

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas – Phone: (916) 651-4023, staffers:

Mae.gales@sen.ca.gov, Arturo.salaices@sen.ca.gov

What to write and say:

“I am a California voter and I am concerned that AB 665 bypassed the Appropriations Committee in the Assembly. It looks like it will bypass the Senate Appropriations committee too. This bill concerns expanding mental health access to kids on Medi-Cal, such that Medi-Cal will cover outpatient and residential shelters for minors 12 and older who have Medi-Cal. This bill will increase the state's budget for Medi-Cal costs. Please explain why it is not scheduled to be heard in the Appropriations Committee.”

Thank you, 

The Gender Identity K-12 Team