2022 Legislation

Take Action on AB 1785

AB-1785 California Parents’ Bill of Rights Act Under this bill, the state would recognize certain rights, including, among others, the right of a parent or guardian to make health care decisions and to advise on the moral or religious training of their minor child. This bill would require public schools to provide parents and guardians with opportunities to participate in schools to improve parent and teacher cooperation in areas including homework, school attendance, and discipline.

CURRENT STATUS: Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Hearing date has not been set.

Step 1. Set Up Meeting

Contact the district office and request meeting. If you do not know who your state representatives are, go to FindYourRep.Legislature.CA.Gov.

If asked what the meeting is about, feel free to state a general concern such as education, health, or the pandemic.

Do not be discouraged if you are offered a meeting with a staffer rather than your legislator, or if it is on zoom vs. in person. Staffers play an important role in the legislative process.

Step 2. Get to Know your Legislator

Read your representatives' bio on their website. What are their interests? What bills have they authored in the past? How have they voted on issues you care about?

Find a common interest in order to establish relatability.

Step 3. Prepare Documents to Take to Meeting
Create your own one page document with the top three concerns you have. Bullet points are helpful as legislators and staffers are dealing with hundreds of bills.


Step 4. Dress and Act Professionally
When meeting with legislators and staffers, the goal is to build positive relationships. This is easy to do if expressing views in polite and respectful ways.


Representatives and their staff are just ordinary people that are generally very personable and friendly.

For a more in depth training on the legislative process and meeting with legislators, watch this video.

TaKe Action 2:

Submit Your Support Letter to Policy Committees

Make sure that your position on this bill is heard and put on record by submitting you comments to the California Legislature Position Letter Portal.(Watch Video Tutorial)

Comments will be shared with the appropriate policy committee members hearing the bill.

Sample Comment:

"I support Ab 1785, which would recognize certain rights, including, among others, the right of a parent or guardian to make health care decisions and to advise on the moral or religious training of their minor child. Parents are the best advocates for their children: knowing medical and emotional histories, weighing risks and benefits of medical treatments, consenting to age appropriate educational opportunities, making decisions in the best interest of their children. Please set this bill for hearing."

You might add a personal experience or talking points outlined below.

Talking Points for AB 1785

Specific Ask: Set a Hearing Date

Main Talking Points

  1. Parents are the best advocates for their children: knowing medical and emotional histories, weighing risks and benefits of medical treatments, consenting to age appropriate educational opportunities, making decisions in the best interest of their children.
  2. Parents have the constitutional right for the rearing of their children and the greatest vested interest in protecting the health and well-being of their children. Neither the state nor medical personnel can replace the guidance and interests of parents.
  3. The information that this bill would require be provided to parents is pivotal for the success and well being of all families involved with the local educational agencies. Communities that have parents involved are successful communities, that is why this bill needs to be set for a hearing and passed through the legislature.

If you like what we are doing, please make a donation today! 

California Health Coalition Advocacy is a non-profit 501(c)(4), therefore contributions and gifts are not tax deductible.

Donate Now