Sen. Deb Fischer
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) recently sponsored bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include the input of Native Americans in federal contracting decisions.
The Increasing Tribal Input on Nutrition Act, S. 3236, which Sen. Fischer sponsored on Nov. 20 alongside five original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Tina Smith (D-MN), also would bolster the USDA’s emergency response during disruptions and encourage meaningful tribal consultation on nutrition programs at the state level.
“I’m pleased to introduce this bill to ensure that those who rely on food assistance programs in tribal communities — including the elderly and low-income — are not impacted by federal government missteps,” Sen. Fischer said. “The Increasing Tribal Input on Nutrition Act ensures that tribal voices are at the table from the start and strengthens USDA’s response if disruptions occur.”
The Winnebago Tribe and the Native Farm Bill Coalition support the bill, which specifically would require USDA to include tribal representatives in reviewing and awarding contracts under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and direct USDA to designate an emergency contractor within 45 days of any supply chain disruption under the FDPIR program or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
S. 3236 also would permit USDA to provide direct payments to tribes to purchase food if the FDPIR is disrupted, and encourage states to conduct tribal consultation before amending CSFP State Plans, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Tribal governments understand what works best for their communities, and they should have control over how they feed their members,” Sen. Smith said. “Our bill makes an important fix that allows tribes to get food assistance to those who need it most and provides the tools to prevent any future disruptions in the food supply chain.”