Summary

• The Senate Agriculture Committee votes to advance the nomination of Brooke Rollins as USDA Secretary. 

• The American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearing Dates and Testimony requests for FY2026 have been published by the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 25-26, 2025. 

• An IFAI’s blogpost has been updated with a template for Tribes interested in submitting comments about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects.  

• The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will hold Part 1 of a hearing about the views of farmers and ranchers on the Agricultural Economy on Wednesday.  

• Check out the currently open USDA nomination opportunities, including one for land management and another for research, education, and economics.  

Calendar

Tribal Consultation/Listening Sessions/Advisory Committee Meetings

Title of Event: American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearing and Testimony 

About: The House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will host AIAN public witness hearings.  

Meeting Date(s):  

• Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 

• Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 

• Note:  

• Deadline to submit requests to testify: Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 (Instructions here) 

• Deadline to submit written public testimony for all groups: Friday, Apr. 4, 2025 (Instructions here) 

About: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking feedback from Indian Country on the Child Nutrition Tribal Pilot Projects through a Request for Information process. The pilot will allow Tribal operations to administer one or more child nutrition programs like: 

• National School Lunch Program 

• School Breakfast Program 

• Child & Adult Care Food Program  

• Summer Food Service Program 

The final comment period deadline is Mar. 24, 2025. IFAI has information and a comment template for Tribes interested in submitting here on our website. 

Congressional Sessions:

Looking back: 

On Monday, Feb. 3, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry advanced President Donald Trump’s nomination for USDA Secretary, moving Brooke Rollins closer to a full Senate vote.  

Looking ahead:

Hearing: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. eastern 

Topic: Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on Agricultural Economy, Part 1 

Nomination opportunities: 

Bureau of Land Management Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council 

Agency: Bureau of Land Management, Interior 

Description: This regional advisory council provides advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the National System of Public Lands within its geographic areas. Applications can be found here. 

Nomination due: Feb. 18, 2025 

Agency: USDA              

Description: USDA is seeking NACMCF nominees with scientific expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines. Advisory Committee members serve a two-year term beginning September 2025 through September 2027. For further information, contact: Kristal Southern, Designated Federal Officer, by email to NACMCF@usda.gov or by telephone at 202–937–4162. 

Nomination due: Feb. 18, 2025 

Agency: USDA 

Description: The NAREEE Advisory Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economics. They provide stakeholder input and science-backed information to better inform USDA’s program decisions. 

Nomination due: May 2025 

Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Description: The Advisory Committee provides recommendations to the U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission regarding the deliberations and decisions of the Commission. 

Nomination due: Mar. 24, 2025 

Regulatory/Rulemaking Actions

Title: Executive Order 14145 – Helping Left-Behind Communities Make a Comeback  

• On Jan. 19, 2025, the WH issued an Executive Order that takes a whole-of government approach “to defining, coordinating, and increasing accessibility to existing and future programs.” 

• The intention is to better support Tribal communities. 

• Objectives include federal collaboration on economic development and supporting award access in economically distressed regions.  

Posted: Week of Jan. 27, 2025 

• On Jan. 20, 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order freezing all pending rules that have not previously been published in the Federal Register. 

Posted: January 20, 2025 

 Title: Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems 

• USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule that amends its regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921.  

• The final rule takes effect on Jul. 1, 2026, and requires live poultry dealers to adopt fairer policies and procedures, increasing transparency in broiler grower payments, tournament operations, and capital improvement systems.  

• One of the requirements by this final rule is for growers to be provided greater clarity and protection about the minimum payments they can expect under broiler growing arrangements.  

Posted: Week of Jan. 20, 2025 

Title: Supplemental Agricultural Assistance Programs  

• The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) have issued a final rule to simplify and streamline deadlines for the following programs: the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).  

• The final rule took effect on Jan. 17, 2025, and also clarifies ELAP provisions for assistance for transportation of livestock feed.  

• Across all three programs (ELAP, LFP, and LIP) there is now a single deadline for filing a notice of loss, an application for payment, and other requirements.  

• The deadline changes are effective starting with the 2024 program year that started in Jan. 1, 2024, which are now due on Mar. 1, 2025. 

Posted: Week of Jan. 20, 2025 

Title: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Regarding Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data 

• USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requests comments about an Agency’s use of a Standard Application Process (SAP) to collect information about individuals requesting access to confidential data sets.  

• SAP is the process through which entities (including Agencies, States, Tribal governments, and researchers) may apply to access confidential data assets held by a federal statistical agency or unit.  

• The SAP Portal is an application interface connecting applicants seeking data with a catalog of metadata for data assets owned by the federal statistical agencies and units. 

• Comments submitted by Feb. 12, 2025, will be considered.