Summary:

• Read IFAI’s analysis of the House agriculture appropriations bill (H.R.8646), which cuts USDA funding by 3%. 

• Reminder: The Tribal consultations on the Tribal Interior Budget Council will be happening on May 19 and 20. The consultation will be held in-person, but will also be livestreamed. 

• IFAI will be watching several Congressional hearings this week including Senate Committee hearing on the President’s 2027 budget request for the Forest Service and House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the President’s 2027 budget request on DOI.

• USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service issued a final rule on Food Stocking Standards for SNAP retailers. 

General Ag Policy Updates:

• USDA announced new details for reorganizing the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers federal nutrition programs including FDPIR, SNAP, WIC and others. Under the plan, FNS staff will relocate staff from DC headquarters and the current seven regional offices to five new hub locations. Each hub will administer different nutrition programs for the nation: FDPIR, WIC, CSFP, and several other nutrition programs will be administered in Kansas City, MO; SNAP will be in Indianapolis, IN; and child nutrition programs will be in Dallas, TX. As a result, Tribes that are administering multiple nutrition programs may need to work with staff across multiple hubs rather than a single regional office. The relocation may lead to loss of regional expertise and local relationships, as well as additional staff departures. Stay tuned for IFAI’s detailed analysis coming soon!

Outreach Calendar:

General Policy Update:

Tribal Consultation/Listening Sessions/Advisory Committee Meetings:

Title of Event: FDPIR Tribal Leader Consultation Working Group.
About: This is the first meeting of the Consultation Working Group for 2026, covering ongoing topics including program administration and policy updates, food package availability, procurement challenges, and funding levels. The meeting will be held in person with an option for virtual attendance. The agenda will be posted when it is available.
Date(s), Time, and Location:
Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST
NAFDPIR Annual Conference
Sheraton Niagara Falls
300 Third Street
Niagara Falls, NY, USA, 14303
Room TBD 

All participants must register by June 22, 2026, HERE

Written comments must be submitted by July 23, 2026, to sm.fn.tribalaffairs@usda.gov

Dear Tribal Leader Letter

Title of Event: Forest Service Tribal Forum
About: Tribal leaders are invited to participate in a feedback session to update the 2026 USFS Draft Tribal Action Plan, which is based on the Strengthening Tribal Consultations a Nation-to-Nation Relationship: a USDA Forest Service Action Plan.  Feedback will be accepted until the Tribal Action Plan’s anticipated publication in the summer of 2026.
Date(s), Time, and Location:
Thursday, May 21, 2026, from noon to 1 p.m. ET

Please register HERE

Title of Event: Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) Tribal Consultations
About: Indian Affairs is holding a two-day in-person consultation with Tribal Nations about budget, strategy, and planning for the FY2028 budget, as well as the future of TIBC.
Date(s), Time, and Location:
Day 1 Tribal Consultation Session on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 9 a.m. EST

• 1849 Street NW, Washington, DC, Yates Auditorium

Registration CLOSED on May 1, 2026

Day 2 TIBC Session on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 9 a.m. EST

• 1849 Street NW, Washington, DC, Yates Auditorium

Registration CLOSED on May 1, 2026

The meeting will be livestreamed HERE for those who wish to listen in.

Feedback about strengthening the TIBC can be provided HERE

OR

You may provide written input in an email, no later than May 20, 2026: TIBCimprovement@bia.gov

 Dear Tribal Leader Letter – dated Mar. 16, 2026

Addendum to Dear Tribal Leader Letter – dated Apr. 21, 2026

Title of Event: FDPIR Produce Safety Training
About: This is a 2-day in-person training designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities for FDPIR program operators and staff who are receiving, handling, and storing fresh produce. The training helps Tribes and State agencies properly assess and safely distribute fresh produce to program participants.
Date(s), Time, and Location:

• May 19 – 20, 2026 at Spirit Lake Tribe: REGISTER
• June 2026 (alongside the NAFDPIR Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, NY): REGISTER.

Congressional Updates: 

Looking Back:

Hearing: Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Wed., May 6, 2026.

Topic: From Disaster to Resilience: Strengthening Tribal Communities through Federal Response, Mitigation and Relocation Programs.

Highlights: The Senate Indian Affairs field hearing examined the federal and tribal responses to typhoon Halong. Witnesses urged Congress to strengthen Tribally led preparedness, streamline federal coordination and funding, and make relocation and resilience investments eligible and accessible before repeated disasters cause further displacement and harm.

Read more here.

Looking Ahead:

Hearing: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Tues., May 12, 2026, at 3 p.m. EST.
Topic: Perspectives on the Fertilizer Industry: Ensuring a stable and affordable supply for American producers. 

Hearing: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Wed., May 13, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. EST.
Topic: Full Committee hearing to examine the President’s budget request for the United States Forest Service for Fiscal Year 2027. 

Hearing: House Committee on Natural Resources on Wed., May 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. EST
Topic: Examining the President’s FY 2027 budget request for the Department of Interior.

Hearing: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on Wed., May 13, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. EST.
Topic: A review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Nominations:

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Consultative Committee (NCC)

Description: This committee advises the Secretaries of Commerce and State on issues relevant to the work of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) convention. NAFO is an international fisheries management body focused on coordinating international scientific studies of key marine species in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. NCC seeks nominations from committee members with fishing and/or seafood processing industry experience, marine/fisheries conservation and management experience, and more.

Deadline: Nominations for the committee will be accepted at any time.

Regulatory/Rule Making Actions:

Title: Updated Staple Food Stocking Standards for Retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has finalized the SNAP retailer stocking standards rule effective July 7, 2026.
• This final rule requires retailers to carry additional types of food across different categories.
• Although the intent is for SNAP participants to have access to a wider variety of staple foods that are healthier than processed foods, there are concerns that smaller retailers, like convenience stores in Tribal communities, would be unable to meet the increased standards in the dairy and grain food categories.
• SNAP retailers must implement the provisions of this rule no later than Nov. 4, 2026.

Posted: Week of May 11, 2026
Read More HERE

Title: Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program; 2026 Benefit Levels

• USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has published a notice informing the public about the annual adjustments to benefit levels in the Summer EBT for Children.
• The adjusted EBT levels reflect the differences between the costs of providing meals and supplements to other geographic areas (e.g., Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam) and the 48 States, Washington, DC, and the ITOs that administer the Program.
• Adjustments reflect changes in the Thrifty Food Plan.
• The monthly benefit for the summer of 2026 in the 48 States and DC is $120.
• Benefit levels are in effect Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2026.

Posted: Week of April 27, 2026
Read More HERE.