Texas Executive Order GA-48 and Employee Travel
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 Blinn College District personnel:
Gifts
Gifts and other incentives, regardless of value, from the locations listed above or an entity associated with the countries listed above, including travel reimbursement, to Blinn College District or its personnel are strictly prohibited.
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 Blinn College District Human Resources Department at leigha.schubert@blinn.edu.
Professional Travel
Blinn College faculty and staff are prohibited from traveling for business purposes to any of the countries listed above. Employees may not travel to these countries for professional purposes and may not perform any professional activities related to their Blinn College employment while physically located in any of the impacted countries. No Blinn College technology, digital materials, or devices may be taken to any of the locations listed.
Personal Travel
Blinn College personnel must notify the College of any personal travel to the countries listed above prior to the travel and complete a post-trip certification. No Blinn College technology, digital materials, or devices may be taken to any of the locations listed.
To comply with this requirement, Blinn College employees must complete the following Pre-Travel Form prior to the trip and Post-travel Form upon return to the United States:
Post-Travel Certification Form
Foreign Talent Programs
Blinn College personnel are prohibited from participating in any foreign talent and recruitment program sponsored by the countries listed above. This 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 or recruitment programs as defined in the CHIPS and Science Act. The state restricts participation in any foreign talent or recruitment program originating in one of the listed countries. If you are involved in a foreign talent or recruitment program you are required to disclose such involvement.
Critical Infrastructure
Any Blinn College faculty, staff, applicant, or contractor who researches, works on, or has access to critical infrastructure will undergo an initial background check and regular routine background checks that will include more detailed review of criminal history and affiliations. These background checks are to determine if the employee, applicant, or contractor has a criminal history or continuous connections to a foreign adversary that may prevent them from being able to maintain the security and integrity of critical infrastructure.
Critical infrastructure is defined as a communication infrastructure system, cybersecurity system, IT infrastructure, electric grid system, hazardous waste treatment system, or water treatment facility - Texas Business & Commerce Code, section 117.001(2).
Communication infrastructure could include groupware, email, project management software, fax, phone, teleconferencing systems, and document management systems.
In general terms an IT infrastructure could include:
- Hardware – servers, computers, network devices, storage systems, and peripheral devices
- Software – operating systems applications, databases, virtualization, and other software programs that enable various functionalities within the infrastructure.
- Networks – Networking components such as routers, switches, firewalls, and cables connect devices and facilitate data transmission across the infrastructure.
- Data Centers – Centralized facilities that house servers, storage systems, and networking equipment. The data center provides a controlled environments with power, cooling, and security features to ensure optimal performance and data protection.
- Cloud Systems – Cloud computing services, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), offer scalable and flexible solutions for infrastructure requirements.
- Security Systems – Infrastructure security measures like firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and encryption technologies protect against unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats.
- IT Service Management (ITSM) – ITSM frameworks and tools enable efficient management of IT services, including incident management, change management, problem management, and service desk support.
- Cybersecurity System – Cybersecurity refers to any technologies, practices and policies for preventing cyberattacks or mitigating their impact. Cybersecurity aims to protect computer systems, applications, devices, data, financial assets and people against ransomware and other malware, phishing scams, data theft and other cyberthreats.
Please contact the Blinn College District Human Resources Department at leigha.schubert@blinn.edu if you have any questions regarding compliance with EO-GA-48.