A message from Associate Chancellor Luanna Putney
Dear colleagues,
On Sept. 27, 2016, Governor Brown signed into law AB 1887 (Low). Effective Jan. 1, 2017, this law prohibits state-funded travel to a state that has passed a law after June 26, 2015, that authorizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, or voids or repeals existing state or local protections against such discrimination. The law expressly identifies the University of California and the California State University as entities covered by the law.
The State Attorney General must develop, maintain and post online the current list of states where travel restrictions would apply. The list is posted on the state’s Department of Justice website and currently includes Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. Please note that four new states were added since the law went into effect .
AB 1887 provides a number of exceptions where state-funded travel will be allowed to states that are otherwise on the Attorney General's list. Further details regarding approved exceptions are posted in an online document that includes FAQs.
The law also prohibits UC from requiring employees to travel to the states on the Attorney General's list, regardless of funding source. An employee may therefore decline to travel to one of the identified states unless one of the statutory exceptions applies.
If you intend to travel to one of the restricted states, and the activity does not fall within one of the exceptions, please ensure you do not use state funds to pay for any travel-related expenses. State funds may include start-up funds, operating budgets from schools or organized research units (ORUs), state grants and funds from the UC Office of the President, among others.
For questions related to funding of travel-related expenses to restricted states, please work with your business officer to identify appropriate funds.
Best regards,
Luanna Putney
Associate Chancellor and Campus Ethics and Compliance Officer
