WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.
Murray, Cortez Masto Reintroduce Bill to Expand Tribal Food Assistance
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) have reintroduced the Tribal Access to Nutrition Assistance Act, legislation that would allow eligible Tribal households to receive benefits from both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) during the same month.
Current law requires eligible recipients to choose between the two programs each month, unlike other federal nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC, which can be used together. Supporters say the change would reduce food insecurity in Tribal communities while eliminating unnecessary administrative barriers.
The bill is backed by several Tribal Nations and Native organizations, including the National Congress of American Indians, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Native Farm Bill Coalition, and the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations.
Full text of the legislation is available HERE.
FCC to Host Tribal Broadband Workshop in Albuquerque
On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it will host a Tribal Workshop in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 20-21, focused on expanding broadband access and improving connectivity in Tribal communities.
The free workshop will feature representatives from the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, and the New Mexico and Arizona state broadband offices. Sessions will cover federal broadband funding opportunities, the Universal Service Fund, public safety programs, and technical training on the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection and National Broadband Map.
The event is intended for Tribal leaders, telecommunications and IT professionals, planners, GIS staff, and other Tribal officials. An optional broadband mapping office hours session with the FCC Broadband Data Task Force will be held on Aug. 19. Registration is free by emailing Native@fcc.gov with the subject line “August Workshop.”
