John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program

The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

115.

John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program

(a)

Establishment

There is established the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program (referred to in this section as the Fellowship Program) within the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program.(b)

Purposes

The purposes of the Fellowship Program are—(1)to honor the legacy of Representative John Lewis by promoting a greater understanding of the history and tenets of nonviolent civil rights movements; and(2)to promote studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent movements that established and protected civil rights around the world.(c)

Administration

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (referred to in this section as the Bureau) shall administer the Fellowship Program in accordance with policy guidelines established by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, in consultation with the binational Fulbright Commissions and United States Embassies.(d)

Selection of fellows

(1)

In general

The Board shall annually select qualified individuals to participate in the Fellowship Program. The Board may determine the number of fellows selected each year, which shall be not fewer than 25 whenever feasible. (2)

Outreach

(A)

In general

The Bureau should conduct outreach at organizations described in subparagraph (B)—(i)to broaden the pool of qualified applicants; and(ii)to facilitate, to the extent practicable, diversity within each cohort of fellows.(B)

Organizations described

The organizations described in this subparagraph are—(i)minority serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities; and(ii)other appropriate institutions, as determined by the Board.(C)

Definitions

In this paragraph:(i)

Diversity

The term diversity means diversity of individuals based on factors including race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, or military service.(ii)

Historically Black college and university

The term historically Black college and university has the meaning given the term part B institution in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). (iii)

Minority serving institution

The term minority-serving institution means an eligible institution under section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).(e)

Fellowship orientation

The Bureau shall organize and administer a fellowship orientation that shall—(1)be held in Washington, DC, or at another location selected by the Bureau; (2)include programming to honor the legacy of Representative John Lewis; and(3)be held on an annual basis not later than 30 days before the commencement of the fellowship program.(f)

Structure

(1)

Work plan

To carry out the purposes described in subsection (b)(2)—(A)each fellow selected pursuant to subsection (d) shall arrange an internship or research placement— (i)with a nongovernmental organization, academic institution, or other organization approved by the Bureau; and(ii)in a country with an operational Fulbright U.S. Student Program; and(B)the Bureau shall, for each fellow, approve a work plan that identifies the target objectives for the fellow, including specific duties and responsibilities relating to those objectives.(2)

Conferences; presentations

Each fellow shall—(A)attend the fellowship orientation described in subsection (e);(B)not later than the date that is one year after the end of the fellowship period, attend a fellowship summit organized and administered by the Bureau, which shall be held in Atlanta, Georgia, or at another location of importance to the civil rights movement in the United States and selected by the Bureau; and(C)at such summit, give a presentation on lessons learned during the period of fellowship.(3)

Fellowship period

Each fellowship under this section shall continue for a period determined by the Bureau, which shall be not shorter than 10 months whenever feasible. (g)

Fellowship award

The Bureau shall provide each fellow under this section with an allowance that is equal to the amount needed for—(1)the fellow's reasonable costs during the fellowship period; and(2)travel and lodging expenses related to attending the orientation and summit required under subsection (e)(2).(h)

Briefing

Not later than 1 year after the date of the selection of the initial cohort of fellows under subsection (d), and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretary of State shall brief Congress on the state of the Fellowship Program, including—(1)the demographics of the cohort of fellows who completed a fellowship during the preceding 1-year period;(2)an analysis of the diversity of the Fellowship Program based on the demographics of each cohort of fellows who completed a fellowship by the date of the briefing; and(3)an analysis of trends relating to the diversity of the cohorts of fellows over the course of the Fellowship Program.