The Osage Nation government is now operating under the 2024 fiscal year with budgets approved by the Eighth ON Congress during the Tzi-Sho Session.
For FY 2024, Congress approved the Executive Branch budget set at $58 million in tribal funding to operate the largest government branch. For the respective Legislative Branch, the 12-member Congress approved a $2.6 million budget. The Judicial Branch’s budget also received approval set at $891,790 in tribal funds and $129,134 in non-tribal funding.
Those three appropriation bills received unanimous passing votes ahead of the Oct. 1 fiscal year start date, as well as other respective appropriation bills funding other endeavors for the Nation’s government operations.
In her end-of-session report for the Tzi-Sho Session ending Oct. 2, Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox shared budgetary information compiled by Congressional Office staff. The shared data highlights the branches and services funded for FY 2024.
“This session, 33 bills were filed, of those 33, 24 were passed,” Goodfox said. “We passed two additional bills that had been postponed from previous sessions. Over $40 million in non-tribal funds were appropriated, $69 million in tribal revenue was appropriated from the General Fund, including $4 million to the Health Benefit Fund, $8.5 million to the Higher Education Scholarship Fund, and over $1 million for financial assistance.”
In a separate bill, Goodfox noted Congress “increased support for Osage students attending Vo-Tech, committing $1 million to the career tech assistance program in fiscal year 24. An additional $3.2 million was appropriated for construction of a funeral home, the project is now fully funded and construction of a 5,800 square-foot facility will be moving forward.”
In other bills, Goodfox said “$2 million was designated to support Osage restricted landowners, maintenance of their property to preserve Osage ownership of these lands. Congress also approved funding for purchase of an ambulance for Shidler and a donation to CASA (Pawnee-Osage Court Appointed Special Advocates non-profit) was made.”
Also in FY 2024 budgetary matters, Goodfox said: “At the close of session, $7,846,344 in tribal funds remain available for appropriation; from the retained revenue fund, $10 million was appropriated this session with $1 million going to the Permanent Fund, $860,000 for the renovation of Lost Creek Ranch, $6 million for construction of a legislative (branch) building, and $2.2 million for development of the Wahzhazhe National Cemetery. There remains $1,061,221 available for appropriation in the retained revenue fund.”
“Nearly $15 million in restricted revenue was appropriated to Si-Si A-Pe-Txa (Health Services) and to the Nation’s food sovereignty and senior housing initiatives; $12.4 million in (indirect cost) recoveries and $887,000 in space cost recoveries authorized to be spent,” Goodfox reported. “Eight (Congressional) resolutions were filed and seven passed. In closing, there were 16 board appointees for this session and of those, 15 were confirmed. Even though we have been in session for the past 24 days, we still did not receive names for confirmation consideration for one seat on the Gaming Commission board, two seats on the Gaming Enterprise board … This is concerning to this Congress given that gaming is our only source of revenue. We will remind (Osage) voters that in June of 2024, they will have a question on the ballot that will remedy this from occurring any more. The entire Eighth Osage Nation Congress encourages the voters to vote ‘yes’.”
Passage of the FY 2024 budget and appropriation bills comes after Congress faced challenges in having all the various financial information requested from Congress members to the Executive Branch. Acting Treasurer Tyler McIntosh provided various requested documents and reports but could not attend all budget-related Congressional committee meetings during session or provide all the requested documentation due to a personal family emergency.
For example, Congress hopes to revisit a proposed resolution to provide a 5% cost of living (COLA) adjustment for ON government employees due to the current inflation situation impacting the public today. Due to not having updated information on what the COLA will cost in total, Congress postponed action on the COLA resolution pending receipt of updated cost information.
Congresswoman Jodie Revard, chair of the Congressional Appropriations Committee, sponsored the FY 2024 budget bill (ONCA 23-85) for the Executive Branch and thanked those involved in considering the bill, which included amendments and budget meetings ahead of the Sept. 25 passage. Revard noted the budget was originally filed requesting $60-plus million, which exceeded the budget outlay described in the projected revenue resolution.
“I want to thank the appropriations committee, the committee of jurisdiction, for looking at this. We’re now looking at $58 million in tribal dollars for the Executive Branch for our government in our annual budget. I just wanted to thank everybody for all the hard work including Treasury (department), and the (department) directors and everybody that presented to this body and that were open to make cuts to get us back below the actual outlay … It actually left us a balance in unobligated funds which I think is fiscally responsible of this body.”
Other budget and appropriation bills receiving approval during the Tzi-Sho Session include:
- ONCA 23-82 (sponsored by Congressional Second Speaker Pam Shaw), which is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Legislative Branch of the Osage Nation for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $2,643,719.”
- ONCA 23-102 (Shaw), which is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Judicial Branch of the Osage Nation for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $891,790 of tribal funds and $129,134 of non-tribal funds.”
- ONCA 23-83 (Revard), which is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Executive Branch of the Osage Nation in the amount of $20,580,517 in Tribal and Non-Tribal Funds.
- ONCA 23-86 (Revard), which is “an Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $6,000,000 to the Capital Asset Fund for a new Legislative Branch building.”
- ONCA 23-87 (Revard), which is “an Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $1,920,920 for restricted land maintenance.”
- ONCA 23-88 (Shaw), which is “an Act to authorize and appropriate $50,000 to the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Osage and Pawnee Counties as a grant to benefit members of the Osage Nation and the community.”
- ONCA 23-91 (sponsored by Congressman John Maker), which is “an Act to authorize and appropriate a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $3,228,256 to the Capital Asset Fund for the purchase of land, design, engineering and construction of a funeral services facility within the territorial boundaries of the Osage Nation.”
- ONCA 23-99 (sponsored by Congresswoman Paula Stabler), which is “an Act to provide an appropriation to Si-Si A-Pe-Txa for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $1,838,820.”
- ONCA 23-100 (Stabler) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Grayhorse, Hominy and Pawhuska Village Committee Funds in the amount of $664,700 for fiscal year 2024.”
- ONCA 23-105 (Revard) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Community Development Financial Institution in the amount of $282,271.”
- ONCA 23-106 (Revard) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to Tribal Works for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $887,072.”
- ONCA 23-107 (sponsored by Congressman Scott BigHorse) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Osage Nation Police Department – Explorer Program for fiscal year 2024 in the amount of $63,950.”
- ONCA 23-108 (Stabler) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to Si-Si A-Pe-Txa in the amount of $33,260,426 in Tribal and Non-Tribal funds.”
- ONCA 23-113 (Stabler) is “an Act to provide an appropriation to the Lost Creek Ranch in the amount of $860,000 for repairs and furnishing of the lodge.”
Once available, all legislative bills, resolutions, including appropriation and budget bills can be viewed or downloaded from the Congressional website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
