Upcoming Legislative Session Items to Keep an Eye On

Tahlepa Sipokni Tuklo, Pokoli Tuklo Akucha Tahlapi ya Okla Ahalaia Isht Chompa ya Chahta Okla Im Iklvnnvchit Pisa

Published March 3, 2025

By Chief Gary Batton

Audio in Choctaw Language

The Choctaw Nation will focus on several items that will be coming up in the new legislative session that we, as Chahta, deem as priorities because of the value they bring to our tribal members and nation. It is important that we tackle these issues head on so that our tribe will be heard, and we have a say in our future and how the state will govern going forward.

Farm Bill

Our focus will be on the new Farm Bill and expanding the Tribal Self-Government and self-determination authorities. In other words, we want to give ourselves full control of the programs instead of having the U.S. government dictate the rules and terms to us.

The Farm Bill is the single largest financial commitment that the U.S. government makes to U.S. food and agriculture producers, providing nutrition assistance, crop subsidies, crop insurance, rural broadband internet deployment and a range of other programs and initiatives. The Farm Bill is an omnibus, multi-year law that allows policymakers to set priorities for the food and agriculture sector for a period, usually every five years.

The next Farm Bill will expire in September 2025, and we will work to ensure tribal provisions that benefit Indian Country are included in the new bill. The Choctaw Nation supports the expansion of 638 Indian Self-Determination contracting and Tribal Self-Governance compacting throughout the USDA. From a prioritization perspective, the Choctaw Nation strongly believes this new Farm Bill includes a provision that makes the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) permanent after a successful pilot program.

NAHASDA

The nation will also turn its attention to the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA). NAHASDA is the primary federal statute governing the development, operation, and maintenance of housing in Tribal communities. Yet despite its crucial role, NAHASDA has not been reauthorized in a decade. As a result, its programs need updating, and funding has decreased by 29% when accounting for inflation, remaining at less than 2% of the overall HUD budget. NLIHC continues to urge Congress to reauthorize NAHASDA and fully fund Tribal housing programs to address the dire affordable housing needs of Native communities.

HUD estimates that 42,000–85,000 people in Native communities stay with friends or relatives because they have no place of their own. Failure to reauthorize NAHASDA and stagnant appropriations further exacerbate the large inequities between Native and non-Native communities and prevent Native housing programs from meeting the urgent housing needs of our people.

Diabetes Program

The tribe is in support of reauthorizing the Special Diabetes Program for Native Americans. In response to the diabetes epidemic among American Indians and Alaska Natives, Congress established the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) grant programs in 1997. This $150 million annual grant program, coordinated by IHS Division of Diabetes with guidance from the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee, provides funds for diabetes treatment and prevention to IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian health programs across the United States.

Health Service Contract Support Costs

Finally, we support getting Health Service Contract Support Costs approved as mandatory rather than discretionary payments. Congress passed reauthorization and increased the funding to $160 million. Additional funding for the vital program would help, as Native adults are two times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes (compared with non-Hispanic whites).

We will continue to work with key Congressional members and their staff to ensure that our voice is heard on a national level, so that we can build a brighter future for all tribal members. We will regularly engage with Congressional members and staff in the Oklahoma delegation and on key committees to help shape legislative priorities and the FY 2025 and FY 2026 federal budgets. The future of our tribe is very important, and engaging in these issues will ensure a brighter future for all tribal members.

Yakoke and God Bless!

Anumpa vlhpisa ikbi anumpulit asha himona ya nana kanohmi kvt haiaka chi ka Chahta Okla yvt iklvnnvchit pisa chi. Pim okla anonti im ibafoka ya ivlli im isht vla hatuko ahalaia tikba ka Chahta yvt anukfilli. Kaniohmi ilvppa apissanlit il atikkonofa kvt nana fehna. Pim okla hakla chi anonti pi himak pilla ya il amiha chi.

Farm Bill

Farm Bill himona ya iklvnnvchit e pisa cha Tribal Self-Government auatachi il aienincha chi. United States im apehlicheka yvt anumpa vlhpisa micha apehlichi pi miha chi ka pi bvnnah kiyo.

Farm Bill vt onnuchi ilatomba chito moma i shahli yo United States im apehlicheka yvt illimpa wayvchi im ikbi. Ilhpvk apelvchi, na waya ittibafoka, na waya atukko, ikhana hina hilechi, anonti aiahni inla atahli. Farm Bill vt holisso achvffa hosh anumpa vlhpisa ikbi imissa na ilhpvk micha osapa pilesa tushafa ya ahalaia tikba im apesa. Afvmmi tahlapi aiyuka apesa chatuk.

Hoponi Hvshi, tahlepa sipokni tuklo, pokoli tuklo akucha tahlapik ma Farm Bill vt taha chi. Okla im atahli Hattak Vpi Homma i yakni achukmali ya imissa himona yvt aienincha chi ka ahlichit il i toksvla chi. 638 Indian Self-Determination ittimapesa anonti Tribal Self-Governance akamvssvli auatachi ya Chahta Okla yvt apelvchi. Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations vt billia chi ka Farm Bill himona yvt atahli aienincha chi ka Chahta Okla yvt yimmi.

NAHASDA

Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act a okla yvt imanukfila onucha chi. Aboha ahilechi, nana kaniohmi, anonti aiimvlhtaha ya anumpa vlhpisa okla ahalaia yvt pehlichi. NAHASDA yvt nana yohmahe vlhpesa ishi kia anonti ik atohnucho na afvmmi pokkoli ona. Yohmi tuk o, im aiahni yvt atuklant aiiskiachi abvnna na isht chompa yvt tahlepa sipokni tushafa kvt pokoli tuklo akucha chakkali ik alauwo. Housing and Urban Development im apesa holisso ya tahlepa achvffa tushafa kvt tuklo ikono aiasha. Aboha Hanta Okla yvt Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act a anonti atohnucha chi ka National Low Income Housing Coalition vt i mihiha.

Aivtta okla anuka ya okla tahlepa sipokni pokoli ushta akucha tuklo hiket tahlepa sipokni pokoli untuchina akucha tahlapi kvt aiasha immi ik im iksho ka Housing and Urban Development vt hotina. Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act a anonti ik atohnucho yvt Aivtta micha Aivtta kiyo okla ittitakla ya vlhpiesa kiyo chinto ka i shahlichit aiyabechi. Pim okla im aboha abvnna afama chi ka Aivtta aboha aiahni im oktvbli.

Diabetes Program

Special Diabetes Program for Native Americans anonti atohnuchi ya okla yvt apelvchi. Aboha Hanta Okla yvt American Indians micha Alaska Natives takla hvpih champuli isht abeka ataklvmohli ikhana cha afvmmi tahlepa sipokni achvffa, tahlepa chakkali, pokoli chakkali akucha untuklo kash, Special Diabetes Program for Indians hvlbina aiahni hilechi tuk. Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee yvt tikba heka ho, Indian Health Services Division of Diabetes vt hvlbina aiahni ya achukmvt apesa tuk. Tvli holisso tahlepa sipokni tahlepa sipokni tahlepa achvffa, pokoli tahlapi afvmmika aiahni ilvppvt hvpih champuli yvmohmi anonti oktvbli ya isht chompa atahli.

Health Service Contract Support Costs

Health Service Contract Support Costs vt chilofa aivlhtokowa ahnichi keyukmvt ilapahni achi ka il apelvchi. Aivtta asvno yvt hvpih champuli isht abeka atokowa ishi kvt atuklahvt i shahla hinla hatuk o aiahni aiokchaya ya isht chompa vlhchakaya yvt apelvcha chi.

Aboha Hanta Okla ibafoka micha i toksvli ya il ibatoksvhanla chi. Okla ahalaia ittilaui ya pim anumpa aiokpvchi ahlichi na okla ibafoka moma ka himak pilla shohmalali i shahli il im ikba hinla. Aboha Hanta Okla ibafoka micha i toksvli Oklahoma hattak vlhtuka ya apissanlit il atohna chi. Hattak vlhtuka yvt ahalaia tikba anumpa vlhpisa ikbi anonti FY 2025 micha FY 2026 okla ahalaia apesa holisso ya apelvchit ikbi. Pim okla i himak pilla yvt nana fehna. Kaniohmi ilvppa atohno yvt pim okla ibafoka moma ka himak pilla shohmalali i shahli im ahlichi.

Yakoke anonti Chihowa hvt hvchi holitoblashke!