Bill To Give Resident Classification For Team USA Athletes Training in CA Passes Assembly

A bill to give in-state resident tuition availability to Olympic and Paralympic members of Team USA who train in California passed the Assembly in a unanimous vote earlier this week, moving in to the Governor’s desk to await his signature or veto.

Assembly Bill 2747, authored by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-North Hollywood), would allow members of Team USA to receive resident classification if they choose to train in California. The bill would greatly expand the current law, which only allows Olympic athletes training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista to have resident classification for University of California campuses only. AB 2747 would instead open it up to all of California, with all state universities and colleges being valid. As a result, community colleges would be required to exempt more students from non-resident tuition.

Through an amendment, the bill would then expire in July 2032, to help athletes transition to careers following the 2028 Olympic Games.

The bill was written by Assemblyman Nazarian largely due to Los Angeles being the host of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028. By giving athletes a break from residency requirements, the reduced tuition for athletes would help encourage many to live here both during and after the games. This would help consolidate training, allow athletes to adjust to the Southern California climate in preparation for the games, help athletes to go to different careers following the games, and allow long-term health benefits for athletes training and studying in California.

“This legislation sends an important message to athletes,” said LA28 Chief Athlete Officer and five-time Olympic medalist Janet Evans in a statement on Friday. “Olympians and Paralympians are some of our greatest ambassadors to the world and we should support them both on and off the field of play. By providing a path for affordable education, we are recognizing the important work athletes put in to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, while encouraging success outside the arena.”

AB 2747 passes unanimously in Assembly, Senate

Since the bill was introduced earlier this year, the bill has received no opposition in either the Assembly or Senate. A concern raised that the bill could be indefinite resulted in a 2032 end date being placed on AB 2747, with other corns related to potential lost tuition dollars being quelled by increased student spending by incoming athletes and other monetary and prestige benefits. On Tuesday the bill passed the Senate 40-0, with the Assembly voting 76-0 in a vote later in the week.

“I am grateful to see AB 2747 make its way from the Legislature to the Governor with bipartisan, unanimous support,” stated Assemblyman Nazarian on Friday. “As Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I am proud to offer eligible Olympic and Paralympic athletes resident classification for tuition and fee purposes until the athlete has resided in the state the minimum time necessary to become a resident. This will ultimately deposit some of our nation’s most talented young people in California and make our great state the hub for both elevated education and Olympic-level training.”

Athletic and educational leaders noted the importance of  AB 2747 for both the run up to and the winding down of the 2028 Olympics.

“The bill will help athletes get a good education while at the same time benefitting their training in the same  area they will be competing in in 6 years time,” explained trainer Milos Stefanovic to the Globe on Friday. “Team USA will want to win big in Los Angeles the same way they did in 1984 or in Atlanta in 1996. This will help them achieve that. California has always been one of the best states for athletes to come train in, thanks to all the different climates and temperatures and areas to work on for both the Summer and Winter Olympics. This piece of legislation helps continue that.”

AB 2747 will next await a signature from Governor Gavin Newsom sometime next week.