Putting Tribal Sovereignty
Summary
- The Department of the Interior will hold further consultations from June 17 – 26 with Tribal leaders about the Department’s DRAFT FY2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan.
- There are several Federal Register notices from FNS this week, including one about ending the requirement for States to develop a Coordinated Services Plan (CSP).
- There are no Congressional hearings relevant to Indian Country Food and Agriculture this week.
Calendar
- Date(s), Time, and Location:
- June 17, 2025, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. eastern – East Coast Tribal Register Here
- June 18, 2025, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. eastern – Alaska Native Register Here
- June 24, 2025, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. eastern – West Coast Tribal Register Here
- June 26, 2025, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. eastern – Native Hawaiian Register Here
- The comment period will be open for 30 days after the last consultation. Session participants may submit written comments to consultation@bia.gov
Congressional Sessions:
Looking back:
Topic: Legislative hearing on H.R. 3444 “Tribal Self-Determination and Co-management in Forestry Act of 2025”
Highlights: Lawmakers and witnesses discussed the urgent need for localized wildfire solutions, streamlined permitting, and sustained funding amid concerns over proposed federal budget cuts. Discussion also centered around the essential role OF Tribal self-determination in forestry, enabling co-management of federal lands, and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into wildfire prevention and forest restoration efforts.
Topic: Nomination hearing of Brian Quintenz to be Chairman and a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Highlights: The confirmation hearing for Brian Quintenz, nominee for CFTC Chair, focused on his plans to balance innovation in digital assets with the agency’s core mission of safeguarding agricultural and financial markets. Senators emphasized the importance of maintaining bipartisan integrity, protecting retail investors, and ensuring robust oversight of emerging technologies like crypto and prediction markets.
Hearing: Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources– Wednesday, June 11
Topic: Department of the Interior FY 2026 budget hearing
Highlights: The purpose of this hearing was to examine the President’s budget request for the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) for Fiscal Year 2026. DOI Secretary Doug Burgum was the witness.
Topic: Department of the Interior FY 2026 budget hearing
Highlights: The purpose of this hearing was to examine the President’s budget request for the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) for Fiscal Year 2026. DOI Secretary Doug Burgum was the witness.
Topic: Legislative hearing on:
- R. 411 – “Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025”
- R. 2916 – “To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes
- R. 3620 – “Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025”
- R. 3670 – “IHS Provider Expansion Act”
Highlights: The legislative proposals pertained to themes such as Tribal sovereignty, healthcare, and federal funding cuts.
Topic: Full Committee Markup for FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill
Highlights: The full committee discussed FY2026 Budget for several federal departments including, USDA and FDA. Federal funding allocations were discussed for various USDA programs including, Farm Services Agency, Risk Management Agency, and Nutrition Programs like WIC and SNAP; as well as FDA operations including food safety.
Topic: Department of the Interior FY 2026 budget hearing
Highlights: DOI Secretary Doug Burgum was a witness for this hearing which discussed the President’s Budget for DOI FY 2026.
Looking ahead:
There are no Congressional hearings relevant to Indian Country Food and Agriculture.
Nominations:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee– due before July 18, 2025.
Regulatory/Rulemaking Actions
Title: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request about the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grant Program (RISE).
- USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service has submitted for review information collection requirements regarding RISE.
- This grant program looks to develop and support industry in low-income rural areas.
- Tribal governments are among the expected respondents for this notice.
- Comment deadline: July 16, 2025
Posted: Week of June 17, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has submitted for review and clearance information collection activities about the SNAP Multiple Payment Pilots (MPPs).
- FNS is authorized up to five MPPs that allow the use of personal mobile devices including cellular phones and tablets instead of SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase SNAP benefits.
- These pilot projects will enable FNS to determine if they work in the best interests of the Program.
- Comment deadline: July 14, 2025
Posted: Week of June 17, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is seeking comments from the public about gathering information through a study of WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories that administer and operate WIC.
- This study involves all 32 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), 5 U.S. territories, 5 Tribally operated local WIC agencies and about 15 geographic State agencies.
- The results of the study are expected to inform FNS about any differences in how WIC is operated and how the experiences of its participants vary across the country.
- Written comments must be received by August 12, 2025
Posted: Week of June 17, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is seeking comments about information collection activities related to WIC and FMNP.
- FNS is looking to gain a comprehensive understanding of program results from the $390 million ARPA investment in outreach, innovation, and program modernization.
- FNS will collect data from WIC State agencies, local agencies, clinics, WIC & FMNP vendors and outlets, and WIC participants.
- The study will also use surveys to learn about participant and operators’ experiences.
- Comments received by July 11, 2025, will be considered.
Posted: Week of June 17, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has issued a final rule rescinding obsolete regulatory provisions related to Summer EBT application flexibility for 2024. It also rescinded income verification flexibility 2024 only.
- These rescissions are authorized by Executive Order 14219 which implements the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) deregulatory initiative.
- This final rule took effect on June 11, 2025
Posted: Week of June 17, 2025
Policy Brief-December 16
Summary: Last week, USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) held its final meeting of 2025 during the Intertribal Agriculture Council’s (IAC) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV. The various TAC subcommittees (e.g. Ranching, Farm Production, and Conservation...
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued a final rule that removes the requirement for States that operate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Summer EBT to develop a Coordinated Services Plan (CSP).
- In December 2023, FNS established an interim final rule that required States to develop CSPs to coordinate the statewide availability of SFSP and Summer EBT.
- FNS received comments from States and advocates about the interim final rule, which stated that development of CSPs was burdensome, unnecessary, and duplicative of other reporting requirements.
- This final rule comes into effect on August 5, 2025
Posted: Week of June 9, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued and interim final rule that rescinds the requirement for State education agencies to report ameliorative or corrective actions taken due to verification of applications.
- The Department will still require State education agencies to conduct verification reports on an annual basis.
- This interim final rule took effect on June 6, 2025.
- Comments received by July 7, 2025, will be considered.
Posted: Week of June 9, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is requesting public comments about the use of Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs.
- The uniform grant application package includes information such as general information and instructions, program narrative statement describing how goals and objectives will be met, and budge information.
- If FNS decides that it needs additional information to satisfy the needs of a grant program, it will not use the current uniform grant application package and publish a 30-day notice asking for different or additional information.
- The revised information collection included in this notice relates to the program narrative statement.
- Comments received by August 4, 2025, will be considered.
Posted: Week of June 9, 2025
- USDA’s Office of the Secretary announced a final rule that amends the Department’s monetary penalties to adjust for inflation.
- The rule complies with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.
- The rule identifies various adjusted civil monetary penalties across USDA Agencies. For example:
- Agricultural Marketing Service – penalty for improper record keeping.
- Food Nutrition Service – penalty for violating a provision of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.
- Food Safety and Inspection Service – penalty for certain violations under the Egg Products Inspection Act.
- The final rule took effect on May 29, 2025.
Posted: Week of June 2, 2025
- USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) submitted for OMB review proposed information collection activities related to additional testing and reporting of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in livestock and milk.
- The objective of the proposed collection activities is to address the spread of the HPAI virus through raw milk.
- Samples will be collected at facilities that ship, receive, or transfer milk interstate.
- Comments submitted by June 30, 2025, will be considered.
Posted: Week of June 2, 2025
- USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) issued a final rule implementing the ELRP for 2023 and 2024.
- ELRP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that had losses resulting from qualifying drought and qualifying wildfire that occurred in 2023 and 2024.
- Prospective participants are not required to file additional application to receive ELRP for 2023 and 2024. FSA will calculate payments based on data already submitted to FSA.
- The rule took effect on May 29, 2025
Posted: Week of June 2, 2025
- USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is requesting general clearance to conduct research and develop nutrition education, promotion materials, and related tools and grants.
- FNS develops resources about healthy eating and physical activity to children and adults that participate in federal nutrition programs.
- FNS uses research methods such as focus groups, interviews, surveys, and web-based data collection.
- Written comments received on or before July 28, 2025, will be considered.
Posted: Week of June 2, 2025