Category Archives: Travel

Update- New State Added to Restricted Travel List

With the effective date April 15, 2019, South Carolina has been added to Assembly Bill 1887, the law restricting the funding or sponsoring of state business travel to states with discriminatory laws.

The current list of restricted states are as follows:

  • Alabama
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas

Background

As of January 1, 2017, the CSU Travel Policy and Procedures has been revised to comply with Assembly Bill 1887, which added Section 11139.8 to the Government Code relating to discrimination and was approved by the governor in September, 2016.  As a result of this law, it has been determined that SJSU is restricted from requiring employees to travel to certain states, and is prohibited from approving funding or sponsoring travel to those states with laws enacted to void or repeal discrimination protections, or, to authorize or require discrimination.

Exceptions to the prohibitions that may be granted, and of note to SJSU, include the following (see SJSU Travel Guide for the complete list):

  • To meet contractual obligations incurred before January 1, 2017.
  • To participate in meetings or training required by a grant or required to maintain grant funding.
  • For the protection of public health, welfare, or safety, as determined by the CSU or other state agencies.

The list of affected states is maintained on the California State Attorney General website, State of California Department of Justice.  Travelers and approvers are advised to check the website when planning or approving out-of-state travel.  Auxiliary funds may be used for travel to restricted states.

References

Economy Class Fares and Upgrades

Airlines are increasingly offering stripped-down economy class airfares by removing such amenities as assigned seats and the ability to bring carry-on baggage. SJSU’s Travel Guide states, “Transportation by scheduled airlines shall be allowed at the lowest fare available at time of booking.” If a traveler has a business reason for purchasing other than the lowest fare available, that reason should be noted in the FTS reimbursement document where Approving Officials can easily see it – preferably in the “Additional Trip Details” field. If the business reason for an upgrade is indicated in the FTS reimbursement request, approval of the request by an Approving Official indicates approval of the upgrade. If the business reason for an upgrade is not indicated in the reimbursement request, Finance will ask the traveler for a justification, and may refer weak cases back to the Approving Official for review.

Travelers are responsible for the cost of unapproved upgrades. If the purchase was made via a GoCard, the traveler will be asked to reimburse the University.

Travelers may elect to upgrade their seats using personal resources. If not handled as a separate transaction, the FTS reimbursement request should include only the base fare amount.

New Moving and Relocation Guide

The “Moving Regulations” section of the SJSU Travel Guide has been removed and now exists as a separate, Moving and Relocation Guide.  The guidelines have been updated to include more clearly defined approval requirements with $ amount thresholds. Also, the “Reportable and Taxable Expenses” section has been re-labeled as “Taxability of Moving and Relocation Expense Reimbursements”, and reflects the change in taxability due to the tax reform bill enacted on December 22, 2017, and effective January 1, 2018.

If any questions, contact Finance Support at financeconnect@sjsu.edu or 4-1558.  Please forward this message to any staff or faculty you feel should be notified.