Summary

Congress’ focus is on government funding, with the House out until Oct. 1 and the Senate yet to pass a short-term agreement.

In a busy October, the USDA is hosting a virtual consultation on proposed changes to SNAP on Oct. 22 from 1-3 p.m. EST, with virtual-only participation. Register here and see the federal register listing for more information.

The USDA also has scheduled two Tribal leader consultation sessions on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 over its departmental Reorganization Plan. Read IFAI’s blog post on the details, Indian Country implications, and how to register for our Tribal leader briefing on Oct. 9.

This is the last week to submit nominations to the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee with nominations ending on Oct. 6, 2025.

IFAI also has a new blog post up about the FY2026 Farm to School Program application window.

Calendar

Tribal Consultation/Listening Sessions/Advisory Committee Meetings:

Title of Event: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Consultation

About: This consultation will cover one policy and three proposed rules SNAP, administered at the Federal level by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

SNAP Tribal Work Exception Authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025
Proposed Rule: Updated Staple Food Stocking Standards for Retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Interim Final Rule: SNAP Changes to Federal-State Administrative Cost-Sharing
Proposed Rule: SNAP Changes to Federal-State Benefit Cost Sharing

Date(s), Time and Location
- Oct. 22, 2025 from 1-3 p.m. EST
Proxy Letter Template
Tribal Invitation

Title of Event: Tribal Consultations on the USDA Department Reorganization Plan

About: This consultation series is intended to obtain feedback from Tribal leaders and their officially delegated proxies about the USDA Reorganization Plan published in Secretary Memorandum (SM 1078-015) on July 24, 2025.

Date(s), Time, and Location:
- Oct. 14, 2025 (Tuesday) at 2-5 p.m. EST
  - Virtual participation register here
  - In-Person participation register here (1400 Independence Ave SW, Washington, D.C., 20250)
- Oct. 16, 2025 (Thursday) at noon-3 p.m. EST
  - Virtual participation register here
  - In-Person participation register here (7001 Yampa Street, Denver, Colorado, 80249)
Proxy Letter Template
Tribal Invitation

If you would like to register for IFAI’s Tribal briefing, please use the link below.

Congressional Sessions:

Looking back:

There were no hearings relevant to Indian Country Food and Agriculture last week.

Looking ahead:

There are no upcoming hearings relevant to Indian Country Food and Agriculture.

Nominations:

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Consultive Committee

Description: The purpose of this body is to ensure that the interests of U.S. stakeholders are considered in the development of positions and policy relative to U.S. participation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO).

Deadline: Nominations will be accepted at any time.

Tribal Advisory Committee

Description: The committee advises the Secretary of Agriculture for the United States Department of Agriculture on matters relating to Tribal and Indian Affairs.

Deadline: Oct. 6, 2025

Regulatory/Rulemaking Actions

Title: Amendment of Notice of Funds Availability for Native American CDFI Assistance Program; Revised Application Submission Deadline to Oct. 27, 2025

The CDFI Fund is amending its Notice of Funds Availability for the Native American CDFI Assistance Program. In section II.C.1 “Climate-Focused Financing” is removed from the list of eligible activities for awards under the NOFA. Section II.C.1 also removes individuals that are African American, Hispanic, Other Pacific Islander, Filipino, or Vietnamese from the definition of “eligible market.” Section II.C.3. edits the definition of “healthy foods” to align with MAHA goals and be consistent with EO 14212.

Posted: Week of Sept. 29

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

FNS is proposing a new rule that would require SNAP vendors stock at least seven varieties (up from three) of staple foods in the four staple food categories (1) meat, poultry, or fish; (2) dairy; (3) bread or cereals; and (4) vegetables or fruits) of which at least one (1) variety in each of three (3) different staple food categories is perishable.