Putting Tribal SovereigntyPolicy
What we do
The IFAI Policy team assists Tribal Nations in strengthening their food systems and agricultural initiatives by delivering timely and accurate analyses of federal laws and policies that affect Tribal agriculture.
Policy Briefings
IFAI Policy Brief – July 24, 2023
IFAI Policy Brief July 24, 2023 Policy Brief Summary: Another busy week as Congress heads towards the August recess, with House Small Business Committee hearing on challenges facing small, rural businesses, two pieces of tribal-focused legislation in House...
Policy Briefing – July 17, 2023
Policy Brief Summary: Last week testimony took place several tribal-related pieces of legislation in both chambers, including water rights’ agreements for three Native Nations in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. This week, SCIA hears two bills impacting South...
Policy Brief – July 10, 2023
Policy Brief Summary: Congress is back on the Hill this week with a number of hearings, one of which will discuss Agriculture and Critical Supply Chains. One thing to highlight in the Regulatory / Rulemaking section is the notice for membership nominations for USDA’s...
Congressional Hearing – Senate Appropriations Committee – June 22, 2023 – IFAI Notes
Hearing: Senate Appropriations Committee 22 June 2023 Overview: Markup of the “Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024” Transcript BILL SUMMARY - Agriculture, Rural Development, Food And Drug...
Congressional Hearing: House Natural Resources Committee – June 22, 2023 – IFAI Notes
Hearing: House Natural Resources Committee Thursday, June 22nd In her opening testimony, Chair Mallory mentioned tribal nations in the context of the Biden Administration’s “America the Beautiful” initiative that aims to restore and conserve wetlands across the...
Hearing: House Committee on Natural Resources June 21, 2023 – IFAI Notes
Hearing: House Committee on Natural Resources 21 June 2023 Transcript Overview: The Committee held a hearing over several bills, but the main bill of conversation was over H.R. 3397 proposed by Rep. Curtis, to require the Director of the Bureau of Land Management...
Policy Brief – June 26, 2023
Policy Brief Summary:
Congress goes on a two-week recess, though some legislative hearings took place including House Agriculture’s focus on broadband expansion in rural communities, markup on a Bureau of Land Management rule concerning conservation issues that may impact tribes and a House Natural Resources committee hearing with the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. There in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court rules against the Navajo Nation in a water rights case v. the State of Arizona. Native News Online covers the departure of Janie Simms Hipp from USDA.
Request for Applications for Heirs’ Property Relending Program
Agency: USDA – Farm Service Agency Action: Requests for application (ongoing until enough applications received) Does it matter: Opportunity for interested eligible entities, including cooperatives, credit unions, and nonprofit organizations certified to operate as a...
Notice of Funding Availability for the Native Community Development Financial Institution (NCDFI) Relending Demonstration Program FY 2023
Agency: USDA – Rural Housing Service Action: Submission of application by July 17, 2023 Does it matter: Notice of funding available for Native CDFIs to apply for the Native CDFI Relending Demonstration Program for fiscal year (FY) 2023. The program has $7,502,000...
Agency Information Collection Activities: Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys
Agency: USDA – Food and Nutrition Service Action: Request for comments by July 7, 2023 Does it matter: The Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys, are designed to collect timely data on emerging school food service operational challenges,...