Juan Alanis is a Republican member of the California State Assembly representing the 22nd District, which encompasses the Central Valley communities of Modesto, Ceres, Newman, Patterson, and Turlock in Stanislaus County, along with Gustine, Hilmar, and Stevinson in Merced County. [1,3] A twenty-seven-year veteran of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department who specialized in crimes-against-children investigations, [2,3] Alanis brings to Sacramento a firsthand understanding of the threats facing families and children in California. His legislative record demonstrates a strong commitment to several of the California Family Council's core priorities, particularly child protection and parental rights. His authorship of AB 3080, which would have required age-verification technology on pornographic websites to shield minors from explicit content, [7,8] reflected the kind of proactive defense of childhood innocence that CFC's framework calls for under its child protection and welfare principles. That bill passed the Assembly unanimously before being killed in the Senate Appropriations Committee [9] — a reminder of the obstacles facing common-sense child protection measures in Sacramento.
Alanis assumed office on December 5, 2022, after defeating Democrat Jessica Self in the general election for the newly redrawn 22nd District, and won re-election in November 2024. [1] He has risen quickly within the Republican caucus, serving as Chief Minority Whip in 2024 and advancing to Deputy Minority Leader for Operations in 2025, while also serving as Republican Caucus Chair. [3] He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Public Safety and Agriculture committees and sits on the Business and Professions, Labor and Employment, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife committees. [1,3] A member of both the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and the Armenian Caucus, Alanis passed sixteen bills into law during his first term -- a notable achievement for a freshman legislator in the minority party. [3]
Born on June 17, 1978, in Modesto, [2] Alanis grew up in Riverbank, where he joined the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps as a high school sophomore. [2] He earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from California State University, Stanislaus, in 2017. [1,2] Alanis began his law enforcement career on his twenty-first birthday, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. During nearly three decades of service, he received three commendations for saving lives, including a decoration for rescuing a child from a house fire set by the child's own father [3,5].
Alanis's legislative agenda aligns with CFC's framework on multiple fronts. On child protection, he authored AB 3080, which would have required age-verification technology on pornographic websites -- a measure CFC publicly championed as essential to shielding minors from the documented harms of early pornography exposure. [7,9] The bill passed the full Assembly without a single opposing vote before being halted in the Senate Appropriations Committee. [8,9] He also authored AB 1880, extending Coogan Law financial protections to child social media influencers, ensuring a portion of their earnings is held in trust until adulthood. [8] On parental rights, Alanis has championed parental notification measures and transparency in placement of sexually violent predators near communities. [3]
His 52.7% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 74 scored floor votes reflects a mixed record on CFC's core priorities. While he has aligned with CFC on select votes, his overall record diverges from CFC's framework on the sanctity of human life, parental authority in education, and religious liberty.
Alanis is married to Barbara, and the couple has three children. [3,5] The family has deep roots in the Central Valley, where Alanis has lived and served throughout his career.
[1] "Juan Alanis," Ballotpedia, https://ballotpedia.org/Juan_Alanis_(California), Retrieved March 2026.
[2] "Juan Alanis (politician)," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Alanis_(politician), Retrieved March 2026.
[3] "Biography," AD22 Official Website, https://ad22.asmrc.org/biography/, Retrieved March 2026.
[4] "Assembly Member Alanis," California State Assembly, https://www.assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers/22, Retrieved March 2026.
[5] "Juan Alanis for Assembly," Campaign Website, https://alanisforassembly.com/, Retrieved March 2026.
[6] "Juan Alanis," CalMatters Legislator Tracker, https://calmatters.org/legislator-tracker/juan-alanis-1978/, Retrieved March 2026.
[7] "Alanis Bill Protecting Children from Exposure to Sexually Explicit Websites Passes Full Assembly Vote," AD22 Press Release, https://ad22.asmrc.org/2024/05/16/alanis-bill-protecting-children-from-exposure-to-sexually-explicit-websites-passes-full-assembly-vote/, Retrieved March 2026.
[8] "Alanis Bill Protecting Child Influencers Is Signed into Law," AD22 Press Release, https://ad22.asmrc.org/2024/09/26/alanis-bill-protecting-child-influencers-is-signed-into-law/, Retrieved March 2026.
[9] "Bill Protecting Kids from Porn Killed by Senator Caballero's Senate Appropriations Committee," California Family Council, https://www.californiafamily.org/2024/08/bill-protecting-kids-from-porn-killed-by-senator-caballeros-senate-appropriations-committee/, Retrieved March 2026.