The Secretary shall establish a fellowship program to be known as the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program to provide fellowships to citizens of the United States to assist eligible countries in developing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs.
For purposes of this section, an eligible country is a developing country, as determined by the Secretary using a gross national income per capita test selected by the Secretary.
The goals of providing a fellowship under this section are to-
(1) develop globally minded United States agriculturists with experience living abroad;
(2) focus on meeting the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries; and
(3) strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry.
The Secretary may provide fellowships to citizens of the United States who-
(1) hold at least a bachelors degree in an agricultural related field of study; and
(2) have an understanding of United States school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs, as determined by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall consult with the National FFA Organization, the National 4–H Council, and other entities as the Secretary determines are appropriate to identify candidates for fellowships.
The Secretary shall provide for the management, coordination, evaluation, and monitoring of the Fellowship Program, except that the Secretary may contract out the management of the fellowship program to an outside organization with experience in implementing fellowship programs focused on building capacity for school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs in developing countries.
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
Any funds made available under this subsection shall remain available until expended.
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Section was enacted as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not as part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 which comprises this chapter.
"Secretary" as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 2 of