A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to make permanent a federal program that provides healthier food options for low-income households on Native American reservations, a rare area of agreement across party lines.

     The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, created as a pilot in the 2018 farm bill under the Trump administration, provides monthly USDA food boxes to income-eligible households as an alternative to SNAP.

     It launched with the Cherokee and Chickasaw Nations and has grown to serve about 50,000 people per month as of 2023. The program allows participants to select from fruits, vegetables, proteins, and cooking staples.

     Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), a Ho-Chunk Nation citizen, introduced legislation this summer to make the program permanent and allow tribes more control over how it is administered.

     “I would call it an overarching effort to make sure that tribes can have more self-determination,” Davids said, calling the program a way to deliver healthier food and empower tribal governments.

     Davids, who has lived and worked on reservations, described firsthand the difficulty of accessing nutritious food.

     “I lived in a place where it would take 45 minutes to get to a very small grocery store, and 90 minutes to get to what I think a lot of people might consider like a regular-sized grocery store,” she said.

     New legislation, introduced this summer, would remove the program’s pilot status and give it permanent authorization.

     The bill also includes provisions for more tribal control over how the food is purchased and distributed, aligning with broader federal efforts to support tribal self-determination.

     Oklahoma, home to nearly 40 federally recognized tribes, would see significant benefits if the bill is enacted.

     Many reservations are classified as food deserts, where residents must travel long distances to reach a full-service grocery store.

     According to a 2024 Government Accountability Office report, Native American and Alaska Native households face food insecurity at rates far higher than the national average.

     Supporters in Congress note that the program has proven effective at addressing these gaps. But its future is uncertain. The measure will need the support of Republican House leadership to advance to a vote, and it comes at a time when many GOP lawmakers are pushing to trim federal spending.

     The proposal is expected to factor into upcoming negotiations over the next farm bill. House Agriculture Committee leaders indicated that the initiative is under consideration as part of what they are calling “Farm Bill 2.0,” following the passage of a reconciliation package that left several key farm programs unresolved.

     If passed, the bill would extend the program’s benefits to any federally recognized tribe that chooses to administer it, potentially improving food access for thousands of Native families in rural, isolated areas.