The Farm Bill: Reauthorizing Agriculture and Food Programs

Native American Legislative Update - July 2012

The Farm Bill: Reauthorizing Agriculture and Food Programs

The Senate passed a bill to reauthorize agricultural and food programs on June 21. Known informally as the "Farm Bill," this legislation continues a wide range of programs, many of which affect Native American and Alaska Native communities. The bill contains provisions related to tribal governments' participation in programs such as food stamps (known now as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and the WIC program for mothers and small children. It also includes grants for tribal colleges, and assistance to build essential community facilities, including health, education and public safety facilities. Although the Senate bill continued the Food Stamp program, it restructured some of the rules governing how benefits are calculated, "saving" $4.3 billion from the program.

Another food assistance program reauthorized by Senate Farm Bill is the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), which provides commodity foods to low income households living on Indian reservations, including the elderly, and to Native American families living near reservations in certain areas. More than half of the tribes in the U.S. receive benefits under this program.

Tribal colleges and universities have been included in the land-college system to help them provide education in food and agricultural sciences to their students and surrounding communities. This program was also continued, serving 36 tribal institutions.

On July 12, the House Agriculture Committee approved its five-year Farm Bill reauthorization, called the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (or FARRM) Act (H.R. 6083).

One of the most contentious issues during the markup of the bill was its proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would be reduced more by than $16.1 billion over the bill's five-year authorization period. Several amendments either to restore or to further cut SNAP funding were defeated.

The House farm bill's cuts to SNAP will affect American Indian and Alaska Native families very deeply. Twenty-four percent of Native Americans, mostly children and elders, currently participate in the SNAP program, compared with 14 percent of the general U.S. population.

See more articles in the July 2012 NALU.