Governor Abbott issued an executive order (GA-48) on November 19, 2024 relating to the hardening of state government. The order directs state agencies and Texas higher education institutions to “harden state systems and safeguard critical infrastructure, intellectual property and personal information from being accessed by hostile foreign nations that attempt to infiltrate Texas.”

The order mandates restrictions with regard to institutional and personnel activities involving countries deemed foreign adversaries. The foreign adversary governments identified in EO-GA-48 are those listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s foreign adversary list under 15 C.F.R. Section 791.4, which currently includes the following:

• The People's Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macau (China);
• Republic of Cuba (Cuba);
• Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran);
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea);
• Russian Federation (Russia); and
• Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro (Maduro Regime).

We have reviewed the order carefully and developed the following guidelines for UH System personnel:

Gifts

UH System personnel may not accept any gifts, regardless of value, from an entity associated with the countries listed above. 

Any personnel that receives an offer of a gift from an individual or entity based in an impacted country, including an offer for travel reimbursement, should contact the Export Control Office at exportcontrol@uh.edu.

Professional Travel

UH System personnel are prohibited from traveling for business purposes to any of the countries listed above. Personnel may not travel to these countries for professional purposes and may not perform any professional activities related to their UH System employment while physically located in any of the impacted countries.

Personal Travel

UH System personnel must notify their university of any personal travel to the countries listed above prior to that travel and let us know upon return to certify compliance.

To comply with this requirement, UH employees must complete the following Pre- and Post-travel forms:

• International Personal Travel Pre-Trip Notification
• International Personal Travel Post-Trip Certification

Foreign Talent Programs

UH System personnel are prohibited from participating in any foreign talent program sponsored by the countries listed above. Please note that this is a broader restriction than currently required in SAM01.G.04. EO-GA-48 applies to all employees, faculty and staff, regardless of their direct involvement in research activities. In addition, the order does not limit the application to malign foreign talent programs as defined in the CHIPS and Science Act. The state restricts participation in any foreign talent program originating in one of the listed countries.

Please contact the Export Control Office at exportcontrol@uh.edu if you have any questions regarding compliance with EO-GA-48.