January 03, 2017

New Law Prohibits State Funding of Travel to Certain States

Effective January 1, 2017, State of California law AB 1887 prohibits state-funded travel to a state that has passed a law after June 26, 2015 that (1) authorizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, or (2) 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. As of January 3, 2017, the list includes four states: Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

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. For more information, including a link to Frequently Asked Questions, see the Berkeley Travel notice: Law Prohibiting State-Funded Travel to States Discriminating on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression.