A California pastor is sounding the alarm and advising his congregation to “get out” of the state if a new piece of “dangerous” legislation passes, joining a chorus of Christians and parental rights advocates who are deeply concerned about the new bill’s potential impact on the safety of children based on its shocking proposed changes to legal guardianship policies.
For background, on Sunday, August 3, 2025, California Pastor Jack Hibbs issued an urgent warning to his congregation that they should leave the state if the controversial Assembly Bill 495 (AB 495) is passed. The new legislation, Pastor Hibbs argued, threatens the safety of children by increasing the risk of kidnapping by changing the criteria for who can claim legal guardianship of a child if their parents are not present.
Explaining the proposed legislation to his congregation during a service, Pastor Hibbs said, “There’s no requirement in the bill for the school to ask you if it’s OK for them to take John out of school.” He added, “The bill does not require a background check for this man, requires no ID, no driver’s license, no nothing. There’s no requirement in the bill for the school to call you to ask you if it’s OK if John takes your daughter out of school.”
Pulling no punches, the pastor called the legislation”the most dangerous bill we’ve ever seen” and told his congregation, “If this bill passes, I am going to ask you to leave the state of California,” adding, “You’re gonna need to pack up and get out; you gotta get out. You gotta run with your kids. You gotta go.” Pastor Hibbs later said, “Here we are. Evil always fills a void or vacancy. Jesus said that.”
Moreover, Pastor Hibbs’ Real Impact ministry announced a “Stop AB 495” rally to be held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the California State Capitol, explaining in a statement that the bill “sidesteps strict ID verification, allowing individuals to present a California driver’s license, consular ID, or even a Medi-Cal or Social Security number as proof of identity—leaving the door wide open for abuse.”
However, what the ministry described as the “most alarming” aspect of the proposed legislation was the fact that a “so-called ‘caregiver'” would be legally capable of making “critical medical decisions for the child,” including “authorizing immunizations and physical exams.”
Importantly, Pastor Hibbs and his ministry are not alone in drawing attention to the red flags raised by AB 495. In a press release issued on July 23, 2025, parental rights attorney Erin Friday called the bill “a child trafficker’s and kidnapper’s dream bill,” adding, “There is no background check, no welfare check, no court oversight, and no verification. All you need is a piece of paper and some form of identification, with no obligation for the adult handing the child over to verify the identification, and presto, someone walks away with your child.”
In the same press release, Greg Burt of the California Family Council said that the bill “claims to provide compassionate solutions for immigrant families facing sudden separations due to detention or deportation,” but instead “dangerously redefines guardianship, strips away parental rights, and creates legal loopholes that make kidnapping children easy.”
Featured image credit: Pastor Jack Hibbs via Instagram