S. 4785 · Senate bill · 119th Congress

FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026

Sponsored by Sen. Tina Smith, Minnesota with 1 co-sponsor

Introduced Jun 15, 2026

Referred to the Indian Affairs Committee

Latest action Jun 15, 2026

SponsorSen. Tina Smith, Minnesota· 1 cosponsorSen. John Hoeven, North Dakota

What the bill does

This bill expands and makes permanent a pilot program through which the Department of Agriculture must enter into self-determination contracts with tribal organizations, upon the request of an Indian tribe, to carry out the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). (FDPIR provides, in lieu of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food commodities to low-income households on Indian reservations and to Native American families residing in Oklahoma or in designated areas near Oklahoma.)

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Jul 17, 2026.

BillFull text · congress.gov(opens in a new tab)

Read the bill

About 200 words

Contents

Sec. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026”.

Sec. 2. Self-determination for food distribution program on Indian reservations

Title I of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5321 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“112. Self-determination for food distribution program on Indian reservations.—

(a) Food distribution program on Indian reservations.— The Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into self-determination contracts, in accordance with subsection (b), with Tribal organizations, on the request of any Indian Tribe by Tribal resolution, to carry out the food distribution program on Indian reservations established under section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)).

(b) Self-Determination contract.— A self-determination contract entered into under subsection (a) shall have the same terms and conditions, and be subject to the same procedures, regulations, and requirements, as a self-determination contract entered into under section 102, except that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture shall be the appropriate Secretary and agency for purposes of a self-determination contract entered into under subsection (a).

(c) Technical assistance.— The Office of Self-Governance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall provide technical assistance with respect to a self-determination contract authorized under subsection (a)—

(1) to the Secretary of Agriculture; and

(2) to Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations that request that assistance.”.

Official text, Introduced in Senate (Jun 15, 2026), from the Government Publishing Office via Congress.gov. Printed version (PDF) · All versions on Congress.gov

What the bill does

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Jul 17, 2026.