IFAI Policy Brief March 25, 2025

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Summary

 

  • Registration will close soon on this Thursday’s IFAI webinar examining the latest executive orders and how those actions impact Tribal food and agriculture. Make sure to register to ensure your spot.  
  • There’s less than a week left to apply for IFAI’s 2025 Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit. The application closes on April 1. No, that’s not an April Fool’s Day joke. Apply today 
  • The FDPIR Tribal Leader Consultation Work Group is having an April 7 consultation at the Tribal Self-Governance Conference at Gila River Tribe’s Wild Horse Pass. Registration is required  and should be completed using the hyperlink above. IFAI will host a pre-Consultation briefing on April 3 at 1 p.m. central and is closed to only Tribal leaders, their staff and FDPIR program operators. Register here. 

Calendar

 

Tribal Consultation/Listening Sessions/Advisory Committee Meetings

Title of Event: Tribal Leader Consultation Work Group Tribal Consultation  

About: This is the first meeting for 2025 for the Consultation Work Group. Framing papers, the proxy letter template and the Dear Tribal Leader can be found on the Office of Tribal Relations Consultation webpage 

  • Date(s), Time, and Location: 
    • Monday, April 7, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. mountain 
    • Gila River Wild Horse Pass

5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd. Room TBD 
Chandler, AZ

 

Congressional Sessions:

 

Looking back: 

No Congressional hearings relevant to Indian Country last week. 

Looking ahead:

Hearing: House Committee on Agriculture- Tuesday, March 25, 10:00 a.m. eastern 

Topic: The CFTC at 50: Examining the Past and Future of Commodity Markets 

 

Regulatory/Rulemaking Actions

Title: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) 

  • USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the availability of funding for ECAP to provide 1-time financial assistance to eligible producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.  
  • This is a new USDA program authorized by the 2025 American Relief Act intended to help farmers with losses from natural disasters and a difficult farm economy. 
  • Indian Tribe or Tribal organization are included in the description of “eligible producers.” 
  • Applications will be accepted between March 19, 2025 until Aug. 15, 2025. 

Posted: Week of March 24, 2025 

Title: FDA Food Traceability Rule Delayed to July 20, 2028. 

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will push back the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months, with a proposed rule in the Federal Register to be published later. 
  • The extension does not amend the requirements of the final rule. 
  • The final rule establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements (beyond what is already required in existing regulations) for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on the Food Traceability List. 

Title: Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines 

  • USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announces the Income Eligibility Guidelines for free and reduced-price meals and free milk and Summer-EBT benefits from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. 
  • States and Indian Tribal Organizations that administer Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program use these guidelines.  
  • FNS uses the annual Federal poverty guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.  
  • These guidelines take effect on July 1, 2025. 

Posted: Week of March 17, 2025 

Title: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2025/2026 Income Eligibility Guidelines 

  • USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announces the Income Eligibility Guidelines for WIC to be used in conjunction with WIC regulations for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. 
  • A state cannot set WIC guidelines that exceed the guidelines for reduced- price school meals.  
  • These guidelines take effect on July 1, 2025. 

Posted: Week of March 17, 2025 

Title: Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children Program; 2025 Benefits Levels 

  • USDA’s. Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announces any annual adjustments to the level of monthly benefits in the Summer EBT Program.  
  • For the 48 States, District of Columbia and Indian Tribal Organizations, the adjustment is based on the monthly Thrifty Food Plan cost for a reference family of four. 
  • There is no change in 2025 monthly level benefits for the 48 States, District of Columbia, Indian Tribal Organizations at $40 per month and a total of $120 over the summer months.  
  • These benefit levels are in effect Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025. 

Posted: Week of March 10, 2025