I have a 97 Jimmy and need to repair/replace a seatbelt component in the rear...It is the buckle part for the center passenger....the part that gets snapped into. I thought it was a separate component...but after looking it looks like it is part of the flippin seats...BOTH seats...which kinda makes no sense...do the plastic parts come off somehow for a repair?

Yep, they look like part of the seat frame in the book too.
The book describes taking the plastic trim off "gently with a flat blade tool" to access the hold down nut.
My '97 was totalled, not here anymore so I can't check it.