[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8681 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8681
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 11, 2022
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship to fund
international internships and research placements for early- to mid-
career professionals to study nonviolent movements to establish and
protect civil rights around the world.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship
Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. 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:
``SEC. 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 advance foreign policy priorities of the United
States by promoting 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 Bureau may determine the number of fellows selected each
year, which, whenever feasible, shall be not fewer than 25.
``(2) Outreach.--To the extent practicable, the Bureau
shall conduct outreach at institutions the Bureau determines
are likely to produce a range of qualified applicants.
``(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.
``(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 1 year after
the end of the fellowship period, attend a fellowship
summit organized and administered by the Bureau, which,
whenever feasible, shall be held in a location of
importance to the civil rights movement in the United
States and may coincide with other events facilitated
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, whenever feasible, shall be not shorter than 10 months.
``(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) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of completion
of the Fellowship Program by the initial cohort of fellows selected
under subsection (d), and on an annual basis thereafter, the Secretary
of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
a report providing information on the implementation of the Fellowship
Program, including on--
``(1) the demographics of the cohort of fellows who
completed a fellowship during the preceding 1-year period;
``(2) a description of internship and research placements,
and research projects selected, under the Fellowship Program,
including participant feedback on program implementation and
feedback of the Department on lessons learned;
``(3) a plan for factoring such lessons learned into future
programming; and
``(4) an analysis of trends relating to the diversity of
the cohorts of fellows and the topics of projects completed
over the course of the Fellowship Program.''.
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE MUTUAL EDUCATIONAL
AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE ACT OF 1961A.
Section 112(a) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2460(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (8), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program
established under section 115, which provides funding for
international internships and research placements for early- to
mid-career individuals from the United States to study
nonviolent civil rights movements in self-arranged placements
with universities or nongovernmental organizations in foreign
countries.''.
SEC. 4. SUNSET.
The authority to carry out the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship
Program established under section 115 of the Mutual Educational and
Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.), as added by
section 2, shall expire on the date that is 7 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 2022.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.