Senate panel hears progress and gaps in LA 28 Olympic and Paralympic preparations

SACRAMENTO — A California State Senate special committee heard Tuesday from state, city and county officials, the LA 28 organizing committee and tourism leaders about preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games and related international events.

The hearing, convened by Senator Allen, chair of the special committee, reviewed current planning, legacy goals and gaps in funding and coordination as California prepares to host the largest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. "It's like putting on several Super Bowls every single day for 2 weeks," Allen said, underscoring the scale of the logistical challenge.

Why it matters: LA 28 will concentrate an unprecedented number of events, visitors and broadcast exposure in a compressed time frame across a large metropolitan region. Committee members said they want to ensure public investments produce lasting benefits rather than short-term disruption for residents, small businesses and communities near venues.

Overview of planning and financing

Reynold Hoover, chief executive officer of LA 28, told the committee that the organizing committee is a nonprofit responsible for raising private revenue to run the Games and that its operating plan depends on sponsorships, broadcast and ticket revenue. "We have a $7,100,000,000 budget," Hoover said, and he described the OCOG as raising most of that through commercial partners rather than public appropriations. Hoover said the organizing committee plans a predominantly "no-build" Games that will use existing venues and temporary facilities where needed.

Hoover described other markers of scale: more than 15,000 athletes, roughly 13 million tickets to sell, an estimated 45,000–50,000 volunteers and a planned 50‑state torch relay intended to connect communities across the U.S.

Tourism and demand risks

Ryan Becker, senior vice president for communications and strategy at VISIT California, presented research drawn from Paris 2024 and other market studies. He said the state’s tourism sector is critical to the broader economy but faces headwinds such as a strong U.S. dollar and concerns about safety and travel access. "We expect LA 28 to reach over 5,000,000,000 global viewers," Becker said, and cautioned that major events can displace typical visitors, alter booking windows and produce uneven neighborhood impacts.

Becker outlined VISIT California's three-part approach: (1) communicate proactively to mitigate displacement; (2) maximize geographic spread of visitors across the state's 12 tourism regions; and (3) position a multiyear marketing plan to capture post‑Games demand. He also warned that international visitation is forecast to decline in the near term and urged state‑local coordination to help hospitality businesses manage staffing and inventory pressures.

City and county roles, public safety and transportation

Paul Krekorian, executive director of the City of Los Angeles Office of Major Events, said the city is the host jurisdiction and carries direct financial risk and responsibility for coordination across dozens of departments. He described multiagency planning groups already working on public safety, transportation, energy and water and said the Games have accelerated completion of some regional transit projects.

Baysia Davenport, chief executive officer for Los Angeles County, told the committee the county will provide core services across the region and identified three priority areas: public safety and first response, public health and social supports, and economic/community impact. She listed county-owned venues already designated for events — Whittier Narrows Recreation Area (shotgun events), LA County Fairplex in Pomona (cricket) and the Gloria Molina Grand Park (live site) — and warned that staff capacity, inspections and emergency management capabilities will need to scale up.

Multiple witnesses stressed the designation of the Games as a National Special Security Event (NSSE) and the need for federal support to reimburse state and local public‑safety costs. Hoover said the organizing committee is advocating for full federal reimbursement and noted that a recent presidential appropriation included a $1 billion initial allocation for security but that additional funding and clear reimbursement mechanisms remain critical.

Permitting, right‑of‑way work and legacy infrastructure

City and county speakers asked the Legislature to consider ways to streamline permitting and right‑of‑way improvements that will be necessary for access and crowd management near venue clusters. Krekorian and Hoover recommended removing predictable regulatory delays while preserving environmental protections, arguing that timely delivery of temporary accessibility and streetscape work reduces risk and cost.

Procurement, small businesses and workforce development

Committee members pressed for more detail on how small, minority‑owned and local firms can compete for procurement opportunities. Krekorian described programs intended to support local participation — Grama LA (a centralized procurement marketplace), the LA Chamber's "Get In The Game" small‑business resource and a Compete for LA registry developed with USC — and said the city and the organizing committee intend to prioritize local hire and workforce training.

Hoover said that formal procurement cycles for the organizing committee are expected to accelerate in 2026 once venue designs and detailed needs are finalized; he encouraged businesses to become "contract ready" now by securing certifications and financing. The panel also described philanthropic and volunteer ticketing mechanisms to expand affordable access: Hoover confirmed a community ticketing program is planned and said organizers will seek philanthropic blocks and other affordability options.

Equity, accessibility and human‑trafficking risk mitigation

Several senators and witnesses emphasized commitments to equity, accessibility for Paralympic athletes and legacy youth programming. The city has committed an initial $160,000,000 for PlayLA, a subsidized youth sports program the panel said will help build long‑term participation. The county described existing anti‑trafficking teams and recommended scaling multiagency efforts; Hoover said LA 28 has added a retired U.S. ambassador to advise on human‑rights and trafficking prevention strategy.

Public‑comment requests and specialized asks

Public commenters highlighted technical requests: Christina DeCaro of California public television and SpectraRep urged modest state investment to expand an all‑hazards alerting mechanism that can deliver disaster notifications for fires, earthquakes, active‑shooter incidents and other emergencies. Labor representatives asked that legacy uses and repurposing of temporary facilities favor local employment and that local‑hire goals be enforced and supported with bonding or other financial tools for small contractors.

What the committee directed and next steps

Lawmakers and witnesses agreed the committee should continue hearings and host more targeted briefings, including with transportation and public‑safety staff. Multiple witnesses supported producing a consolidated, regularly updated document that lists state, county, city and organizing‑committee funding needs, timelines and requests to help the Legislature prioritize limited budget resources.

Ending note

Panelists repeatedly framed the Games as both an extraordinary operational challenge and an opportunity for long‑term economic and civic legacy — provided that funding, permitting, public‑safety coordination and equitable contracting are resolved in the coming years. "This is the kind of thing that can really be a game changer," Krekorian told senators, and the committee scheduled follow‑up hearings to pursue the details.