# Senators Introduce Tribal Food Procurement Act

On July 26, 2023, Senators Tina Smith and John Hoeven introduced the bipartisan FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act. The bill would make permanent and expand a pilot allowing Tribal governments to contract for and administer food procurement under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The signal does not identify a solicitation, funding amount, contract award, or the bill’s subsequent status. If enacted, the proposal could give Tribal governments a larger role in FDPIR purchasing and create potential market access for local food producers.

- The proposal concerns a possible change to procurement authority, not an active contracting opportunity; businesses should not treat it as a solicitation or award.
- Tribal governments and local food producers could be affected if the bill becomes law, with Tribal administration creating potential opportunities to supply food for FDPIR.
- The signal provides no contract values, procurement schedule, or application details, so it does not support specific bid-planning actions at this time.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Topics:** Policy
**Published:** September 30, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Senate
- Tribal governments

### Key Quotes
> Our bill will not only give Tribes greater control over this important nutrition program, helping ensure that assistance gets to those who need it most, but will allow food to be sourced from more local producers, supporting the local economy.
> — John Hoeven, U.S. Senator

> Every Native American community should have access to nutritious and culturally specific food.
> — Tina Smith, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [Press Releases - Senator Tina Smith](https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/364/) - Smith Senate