22 U.S.C. § 6102 — Program requirements

(1) Eligible United States citizens must be Federal employees with at least 2 years of Government experience, a strong career interest in United States-Japan relations, a demonstrated commitment to further Federal service, and qualifications the Center^* sets. (2) No more than 10 fellowships may be awarded each year, including no more than 3 to people who are not Government detailees. (3)(A) Fellows must maintain satisfactory language-training progress and appropriate behavior in Japan, as the Center determines, to continue receiving Federal funds. (B) Nondetailee fellows must agree to return to Federal employment for at least 2 years after the fellowship, unless the Center determines they cannot find that employment for reasons beyond their control after receiving the assistance in paragraph (8). (4) During the fellowship, the Center must provide (A) each nondetailee a stipend equal to the person’s pay on entering the program, plus a cost-of-living adjustment calculated at the same rate and for the same period as adjustments for competitive civil-service positions; and (B) each fellow, including detailees, the overseas civilian allowances and benefits the person would otherwise have received under the State Department’s Standardized Regulations, including a Japan living-quarters allowance, post allowance, education allowance for children’s educational services ordinarily free in United States public schools, up to $1,000 in moving expenses for the fellow’s and family’s belongings, and one round-trip economy airline ticket to Japan for the fellow and immediate family. (5)(A) In the first year, the Center must provide intensive Japanese training in the Washington, D.C. area and courses in Japan’s political economy. (B) The training must be as good as training given to Foreign Service officers before assignment to Japan. (C) The Center may waive some or all training based on existing language skill or political-economy knowledge, and the fellowship must be shortened by the amount of training waived below one year. (6) A nondetailee who violates this section must repay the United States Information Agency the Federal funds spent on the fellowship plus interest at the prevailing rate: (A) full repayment for violating paragraph (3)(A) or (9); and (B) proportional repayment for failing paragraph (3)(B), based on the period of insufficient reemployment and the amount received in the final fellowship year for that period, including paragraph (4) allowances and benefits. (7) The Center must select fellows solely on merit and make positive efforts to recruit candidates reflecting the United States’ cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity. (8) As far as possible, the Center must help a nondetailee find Federal employment if the fellow cannot return to the agency that granted the separation. (9) No fellow may engage in intelligence or intelligence-related activity for the United States Government. (10) Independent certified or licensed public accountants, certified or licensed by a State or other United States political subdivision regulator, must annually audit the Center’s financial records under generally accepted auditing standards where those records are normally kept. The Center must provide auditors all necessary books, records, files, papers, things, property, and facilities for checking transactions against depositories, fiscal agents, and custodians’ balances or securities. (11) Within 6 months after the fiscal year ends, the Center must give the Director an audit report. It must state the audit’s scope and include statements, with the independent auditor’s opinion, fairly showing assets, liabilities, surplus or deficit in reasonable detail, including yearly income and expenses, contracts and grants requiring payments over $5,000, and compensation, salaries, or fees over $5,000 per year. Enough copies must be produced for the public.