John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.8681 | Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Nikema (D-GA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022
This bill establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program within the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program (commonly referred to as the Fulbright Program).
The fellowship program shall honor the legacy of Representative John Lewis and advance U.S. foreign policy priorities by promoting studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent civil rights movements around the world.
The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board shall annually select qualified individuals to serve as fellows in the fellowship program. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may determine the number of fellows for each year, with at least 25 fellows each year whenever feasible. Each fellow shall (1) work in an internship or research position with an approved organization in a country with an operational Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and (2) receive an award sufficient to cover the fellow's reasonable costs during the fellowship period and certain travel and lodging expenses related to the program.

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.