(a) The Administrator of the Agency for International Development is authorized to furnish assistance, in the form of grants on such terms and conditions as may be necessary, to nongovernmental organizations for the purchase on the open market of discounted commercial debt of a foreign government of an eligible country which will be canceled or redeemed under the terms of an agreement with that government as part of a debt-for-nature exchange.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a grantee (or any subgrantee) of the grants referred to in subsection (a) may retain, without deposit in the Treasury of the United States and without further appropriation by Congress, interest earned on the proceeds of any resulting debt-for-nature exchange pending the disbursements of such proceeds and interest for approved program purposes, which may include the establishment of an endowment, the income of which is used for such purposes.