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S. 1945Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2023

Sponsored by John W. HickenlooperSen. John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Introduced June 13, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 8:50 AM UTC

The John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act creates a new fellowship program within the Fulbright Educational Exchange to fund international internships and research placements for early‑ to mid‑career U.S. professionals. The program aims to study non‑violent civil‑rights movements worldwide, honor Rep. John Lewis’s legacy, and support U.S. foreign‑policy goals. It is administered by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and targets participants from a range of institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program as part of the Fulbright Educational Exchange.
  • Provides up to 25 (or more) fellowships each year for U.S. early‑ to mid‑career professionals to undertake internships or research with NGOs, universities, or other approved organizations abroad.
  • Requires outreach to minority‑serving and historically Black colleges and universities when selecting fellows.
  • Sets a fellowship period of at least 10 months and includes a mandatory orientation in Washington, D.C., and a summit (often in Atlanta) within a year after completion.
  • Covers reasonable living, travel, and lodging costs for fellows during the program.
  • Mandates the Bureau to approve work plans and to collect reports on fellows’ projects and outcomes.
  • Requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress on program implementation, demographics, and lessons learned.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

June 13, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

June 13, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

June 13, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued June 13, 2023

II

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1945

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 13, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Ossoff, and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

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.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2023.

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:

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 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

(A)

In general

To the extent practicable, the Bureau shall conduct outreach at institutions, including—

(i)

minority serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities; and

(ii)

other appropriate institutions, as determined by the Bureau.

(B)

Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i)

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).

(ii)

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

Annually, the Bureau shall organize and administer a fellowship orientation, which shall—

(1)

be held in Washington, DC, or at another location selected by the Bureau; and

(2)

include programming to honor the legacy of Representative John Lewis.

(f)

Structure

(1)

Work plan

To carry out the purposes described in subsection (b)—

(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 a fellowship orientation organized and administered by the Bureau under 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—

(i)

whenever feasible, shall be held in Atlanta, Georgia, or another location of importance to the civil rights movement in the United States; and

(ii)

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 fewer 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 reasonable costs of the fellow during the fellowship period; and

(2)

travel and lodging expenses related to attending the orientation and summit required under subsection (e)(2).

(h)

Annual report

Not later than 1 year after the date of the completion of the Fellowship Program by the initial cohort of fellows selected under subsection (d), and annually 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 on the implementation of the Fellowship Program, including—

(1)

a description of 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 by such cohort, under the Fellowship Program, including feedback from—

(A)

such cohort on implementation of the Fellowship Program; and

(B)

the Secretary on lessons learned; and

(3)

an analysis of trends relating to the diversity of each cohort of fellows and the topics of projects completed since the establishment of the Fellowship Program.

.

3.

Technical and conforming amendments to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961

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.

.