H.R. 3956

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3956 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3956

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to authorize the Secretary 
of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts and self-
governance agreements with Indian entities to administer the food 
distribution program on Indian reservations.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 12, 2025

Ms. Davids of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Lucas) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to authorize the Secretary 
of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts and self-
governance agreements with Indian entities to administer the food 
distribution program on Indian reservations.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Food Distribution Program on Indian 
Reservations (FDPIR) Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS UNDER SELF-
DETERMINATION CONTRACTS AND SELF-GOVERNANCE AGREEMENTS.

Section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2013(b)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Self determination contracts and self-governance 
agreements for indian entities.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Indian entity.--The term `Indian 
entity' means Indian Tribes and Tribal 
Organizations given the terms in section 4 of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
``(ii) Self-determination contract and 
self-governance agreement.--The terms `self-
determination contract' and `self-governance 
funding agreement' has the meaning given the 
term in section 4 and section 401 of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act.
``(B) Establishment.--At the request of an Indian 
entity, the Secretary shall negotiate and enter into 
self-determination contracts or self-governance 
agreements to purchase agricultural commodities under 
the food distribution program under this subsection for 
the Indian reservation of that Indian entity and to 
administer programs, functions, services, or activities 
(or portions thereof) related to the operations of the 
food distribution program of that Indian entity.
``(C) Eligibility.--
``(i) Criteria.--The Secretary shall 
presume an Indian entity is eligible to 
purchase agricultural commodities and assume 
the administration of a food distribution 
program on the Indian reservation of that 
Indian entity under section 4(b)(7) if the 
Indian entity meets the eligibility 
requirements in title I or IV of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
of 1975.
``(ii) Consultation.--The Secretary shall 
consult with the Indian Tribes to determine the 
process under which a Tribal organization may 
participate.
``(D) Purchase of agricultural commodities.--Any 
agricultural commodities purchased by a Indian entity 
under the subsection shall--
``(i) be domestically produced;
``(ii) shall not result in a material 
increase or decrease in the total amount of 
food in the food package of that Indian entity 
compared to the amount of food the Secretary 
authorizes to be provided through the FDPIR 
Guide Rate; and
``(iii) be of similar or higher nutritional 
value as the type of agricultural commodities 
that would be supplanted in the existing food 
package for that Indian entity or be an 
agricultural commodity with Tribal significance 
to that Indian entity.
``(E) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the 
effective date of this paragraph and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit, to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report 
describing the activities carried out by Indian 
entities under self-determination contracts and self-
governance agreements during the preceding year.''.

SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF GOVERNING LAW.

The negotiation, execution, and flexible administration of all 
self-determination or self-governance agreements authorized under this 
paragraph (7) shall be governed by the requirements of title I with 
respect to self-determination agreements, or title IV with respect to 
self-governance agreements, of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act of 1975 and the regulations duly promulgated 
thereunder by the Department of the Interior. The application of such 
statutory and regulatory provisions shall be adapted to the Department 
of Agriculture programs, functions, services, and activities only with 
the negotiated consent of the Indian entity affected, on a case by case 
basis. All such adaptations shall adhere to the rule of construction in 
section 406(i) of such Act (25 U.S.C. 5366(i)) that each provision 
shall be liberally construed for the benefit of the Indian entity and 
any ambiguity shall be resolved in factor of the Indian entity.

SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

Demonstration projects under section 4003(b) of the Agriculture 
Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2013 note) shall cease to be 
effective beginning on the date following the end of the period of 
performance for all Tribes holding contracts under such section.
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