Foreign travel; research institutions.

(1) By January 1, 2022, each state university or entity listed in subpart A. or subpart B. of part II of chapter 1004 that receives state appropriations or state tax revenue and has a research budget of $10 million or more must establish an international travel approval and monitoring program. The program must require preapproval and screening by a research integrity office designated by the president or chief administrative officer of the state university or entity for any employment-related foreign travel and employment-related foreign activities engaged in by all faculty, researchers, and research department staff. Such requirement is in addition to any other travel approval process applicable to the state university or entity.

(2)(a) Preapproval by the research integrity office must be based on the applicant’s review and acknowledgment of guidance published by the employing state university or entity which relates to countries under sanctions or other restrictions of the state or the United States Government, including any federal license requirement; customs rules; export controls; restrictions on taking state university or entity property, including intellectual property, abroad; restrictions on presentations, teaching, and interactions with foreign colleagues; and other subjects important to the research and academic integrity of the state university or entity.

(b) Preapproval must be based on the binding commitment of the individual traveler not to violate the state university’s or entity’s limitations on travel and activities abroad and to obey all applicable federal laws.

(3) The state university or entity must maintain records of all foreign travel requests and approvals; expenses reimbursed by the university or entity during such travel, including for travel, food, and lodging; and payments and honoraria received during such travel and activities, including for travel, food, and lodging. The state university or entity must also keep records of the purpose of the travel and any records related to the foreign activity review. Such records must be retained for at least 3 years or any longer period of time required by any other applicable state or federal law.

(4) The state university or entity must provide an annual report of foreign travel to countries of concern listing individual travelers, foreign locations visited, and foreign institutions visited to the Board of Governors or the governing board of the applicable entity.

(5) By July 1, 2025, the Inspector General of the Board of Governors, the inspector general of an entity described in subsection (1), or the Auditor General must perform an operational audit regarding the implementation of this section.