By
Benny Polacca
During the 11th Special Session, the Osage Nation Congress considered and approved more appropriation bills for various projects and endeavors to be funded with American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The 12-member Congress used its special session to hold committee meetings to meet with the Executive Branch in discussing the proposed bills before the legislation was passed onto Congress for the remainder of the legislative process including potential amendments and final votes.
The following legislative items received approval from Congress:
ONCA 21-109 (sponsored by Congressman RJ Walker) appropriates $2 million in ARPA funding for a new COVID-19-compliant Judicial Branch building.
ONCA 22-03 (Second Speaker Jodie Revard) appropriates $2,254,437 to the Executive Branch for costs including consultation costs reimbursement, maintenance costs for law enforcement vehicles and infrastructure costs for the planned Hominy Senior Housing project. Revard said funding is also reserved for the Language Department, Family Violence Prevention services and water assistance for households.
ONCA 22-04 (Congresswoman Paula Stabler) is an appropriation bill for $11,283,234 to the Wah-Zha-Zhe Health Center in supplemental Coronavirus relief funds and ARPA funds. Stabler said she sponsored the legislation as a courtesy to the Treasury Department. She said much of the bill funding was appropriated in the Tzi-Zho Session for health care needs and those funds are being moved into individual budgets in accordance with ARPA funding regulations.
ONCA 22-05 (Congresswoman Paula Stabler) appropriates $150,000 in ARPA funding for purchasing and installing natural gas generators at all three Osage district villages.
ONCA 22-06 (Congressional Speaker Angela Pratt) is a $4 million appropriation in ARPA funding for pre-construction, land purchase and construction costs for assisted living facilities in Hominy, Pawhuska and Fairfax.
ONCA 22-14 (Congresswoman Alice Goodfox) appropriates $2 million in ARPA funding to the Executive Branch for continuation of CARES Act projects for the Nation’s Harvest Land and Butcher House operations.
ONCA 22-15 (Goodfox) appropriates $5,630,740 in ARPA funding for continuing CARES Act projects for the ON Museum and language and culture departments.
ONCA 22-17 (Walker) appropriates $300,000 in ARPA funding for a CARES Act continuation project, which is the remodel of the former Mid-Continent building recently purchased by the Nation for a COVID-19-distribution site on Pawhuska’s south side.
For more information regarding ON Congressional regular or special sessions, filed legislation and Congressional committee meetings, visit the Legislative Branch website at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
Original Publish Date: 2021-11-17 00:00:00
