The Eighth Osage Nation Congress is holding committee meetings throughout the 2022 Tzi-Sho Session to review and consider the 2023 fiscal year operations budgets for the three government branches and its various departments, entities and offices.
Congressional select and standing committees are meeting throughout the 24-day session to discuss and consider the various government budgets and other appropriation bills and resolutions. Those budgetary bills on file include:
- ONCA 22-94 (sponsored by Congresswoman Paula Stabler, who is the current Congressional Appropriations Committee chair) is an “Act to provide an appropriation to the Executive Branch of the Osage Nation in the amount of $19,351,458 in tribal and non-tribal funds. This bill comprises budgets for various departments and programs who are grant recipients, mostly from federal sources. The budget states the Nation is receiving $18.7 million in non-tribal revenue, $435,240 in department revenue, and $167,348 from tribal appropriations.
- ONCA 22-95 (Stabler) is an “Act to provide an appropriation to the Executive Branch of the Osage Nation for Fiscal Year 2023 in the amount of $56,620,422. This bill contains budgets for the various departments, programs, entities and boards/ commissions who are mostly funded with tribal dollars and department revenue. According to the bill, there is more than $42 million in tribal dollars and $14.5 million in projected department revenue to fund these budgeted operations.
- ONCA 22-96 (Stabler) is an “Act to provide an appropriation to the Legislative Branch of the Osage Nation for fiscal year 2023 in the amount of $2,491,552.
- ONCA 22-100 (Stabler) is an “Act to provide an appropriation to the Judicial Branch of the Osage Nation for fiscal year 2023 in the amount of $891,790 (with tribal funds) and $127,750 (with non-tribal funds).
Dollar amounts in the budget bills, as well as other appropriation bills, are subject to amendments as the 5-to-6-member Congressional committees, as well as the full 12-member Congress consider the bills during the legislative process. The budget bills – especially those for the Executive Branch departments and entities – are divided by sections and spread across the select and standing committees for review.
Other appropriation bills on file for consideration include:
- ONCA 22-82 (Congressman Scott BigHorse) is an “Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $2,811,473 to the Pawhuska Wah-Zha-Zhe Early Learning Academy of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the continuation and completion of a new facility project.”
- ONCA 22-83 (Congresswoman Jodie Revard) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate $1,000,000 to the Nation’s Permanent Fund.”
- ONCA 22-84 (Revard) is “An Act to provide an appropriation to Tribal Works for fiscal year 2023 in the amount of $2,379,241.”
- ONCA 22-86 (Revard) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the additional amount of $2,979,736 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Executive Branch for an adult male and female Primary Residential Treatment (PRT) facility, an adolescent male and female PRT, a transitional living facility, and a counseling center with administrative and counseling offices.
- ONCA 22-88 (Congressman Eli Potts) is “An Act to establish a revolving fund in the Treasury for medical disability assistance; to authorize expenditures out of the fund.”
- ONCA 22-89 (Potts) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) to the Disability Assistance Fund.”
- ONCA 22-92 (Congresswoman Whitney Red Corn) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate $1,000,000 to Financial Assistance Services for home energy cooling cost assistance for elder and disabled Members of the Osage Nation.”
- ONCA 22-99 (BigHorse) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $40,679,250 for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) funds for Broadband.”
- ONCR 22-08 (Revard) is “A Resolution to set the compensation and reimbursement allowance for the Boards and Commissions of the Osage Nation for fiscal years 2023 and 2024.”
To view filed legislation and the Congressional calendar for scheduled sessions and committee meetings, go online to: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
