I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8513 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a demonstration project 

to allow Tribal entities to purchase agricultural commodities under the 

commodity supplemental food program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2024 

Mr. VASQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a demonstration project to allow Tribal entities to purchase 

agricultural commodities under the commodity supplemental food program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘CSFP Tribal Nutrition 

5 Sovereignty Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM 

2 DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR TRIBAL OR3 GANIZATIONS. 

4 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR TRIBAL ORGANI5 ZATIONS.— 

6 (1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

7 (A) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—The term 

8 ‘‘demonstration project’’ means the demonstra9 tion project established under paragraph (2). 

10 (B) FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM.—The 

11 term ‘‘food distribution program’’ means the 

12 commodity supplemental food program under 

13 section 4 of the Agriculture and Consumer Pro14 tection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note). 

15 (C) INDIAN RESERVATION.—The term ‘‘In16 dian reservation’’ has the meaning given the 

17 term ‘‘reservation’’ in section 3 of the Food and 

18 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012). 

19 (D) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian 

20 tribe’’ has the meaning given such term in sec21 tion 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 

22 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

23 (E) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

24 means the Secretary of Agriculture. 

25 (F) SELF-DETERMINATION CONTRACT.— 

26 The term ‘‘self-determination contract’’ has the 


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1 meaning given such term in section 4 of the In2 dian Self-Determination and Education Assist3 ance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304) with modification as 

4 determined by the Secretary. 

5 (G) TRIBAL ENTITY.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

6 entity’’ means— 

7 (i) an Indian reservation; 

8 (ii) an Indian tribe; and 

9 (iii) a Tribal organization. 

10 (H) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term 

11 ‘‘Tribal organization’’ has the meaning given 

12 such term in section 3 of the Food and Nutri13 tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012). 

14 (2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the avail15 ability of appropriations, the Secretary shall estab16 lish a demonstration project under which 1 or more 

17 Tribal entities may enter into self-determination 

18 contracts to purchase agricultural commodities 

19 under the food distribution program for the Indian 

20 reservation of that Tribal entity. 

21 (3) ELIGIBILITY.— 

22 (A) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall 

23 consult with Tribal entities to determine the 

24 process under which each entity may participate 

25 in the demonstration project. 


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1 (B) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall select 

2 for participation in the demonstration project 

3 Tribal entities that— 

4 (i) are successfully administering the 

5 food distribution program of the Tribal en6 tity; 

7 (ii) have the capacity to purchase ag8 ricultural commodities in accordance with 

9 paragraph (4) for the food distribution 

10 program of the Tribal entity; and 

11 (iii) meet any other criteria deter12 mined by the Secretary, in consultation 

13 with the Secretary of the Interior and 

14 Tribal entities. 

15 (4) PROCUREMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COM16 MODITIES.—Any agricultural commodities purchased 

17 by a Tribal entity under the demonstration project 

18 shall— 

19 (A) be domestically produced; 

20 (B) not result in a material increase in the 

21 amount of food in the food package of that 

22 Tribal entity compared to the amount of food 

23 that the Secretary authorized to be provided 

24 through the CSFP Guide Rate; 


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1 (C) be of similar or higher nutritional 

2 value as the type of agricultural commodities 

3 that would be supplanted in the existing food 

4 package for that Tribal entity or be an agricul5 tural commodity with Tribal significance to that 

6 Tribal entity; and 

7 (D) meet any other criteria determined by 

8 the Secretary. 

9 (5) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

10 date on which funds are appropriated under para11 graph (6), and annually thereafter, the Secretary 

12 shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 

13 House of Representatives and the Committee on Ag14 riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 

15 report describing the activities carried out under the 

16 demonstration project during the preceding year. 

17 (6) FUNDING.— 

18 (A) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA19 TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

20 to the Secretary to carry out this subsection 

21 $5,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

22 (B) APPROPRIATIONS IN ADVANCE.—With 

23 respect to any funds made available under sub24 paragraph (A), only funds appropriated in adVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:50 Jul 05, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8513.IH H8513

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1 vance specifically to carry out this subsection 

2 shall be available to carry out this subsection. 

3 (b) ADMINISTRATION OF TRIBAL SELF-DETERMINA4 TION CONTRACTS.— 

5 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall ap6 point an existing office of the Department of Agri7 culture to administer tribal self-determination con8 tracts, including— 

9 (A) awarding of FNS nutrition program 

10 self-determination contracts to selected Tribal 

11 entities; and 

12 (B) hiring contract officers and program 

13 staff in order to manage the selection of Tribal 

14 entities and execution of self-determination con15 tracts. 

16 (2) STAFFING MINIMUM FUNDING.—Notwith17 standing any other provision of law, there is author18 ized to be appropriated to the Secretary $1,200,000 

19 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for the 

20 payment of Department contract officers and pro21 gram staff salaries and benefits. 

Æ 


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