On the final day of the 2025 Hun-Kah Session, the 9th Osage Nation Congress passed legislation, including establishing a rental assistance program for elders, a forthcoming food assistance program and $750,000 to the Place to Borrow Money for loan capital toward home mortgage loan and rehabilitation loan costs.
After the bills and resolutions finished going through the legislation process, Congress voted to approve the following items on April 28:
ONCR 25-12 (sponsored by Congresswoman Jodie Revard) is “A Resolution to revise and approve the fiscal year 2025 Annual Revenue Projection of the Osage Nation.” Revard, who is Chair of the Congressional Appropriations Committee, said the resolution is a revised current FY 2025 annual projected revenue list of incoming funding, including a “true-up” supplemental distribution from the Gaming Enterprise.
ONCA 25-66 (sponsored by Congresswoman Whitney Red Corn) is “An Act to establish law governing the registration and titling of manufactured homes within the Osage Reservation.” Red Corn said the bill provides a new process for Osages interested in titling and tagging mobile homes with the Nation.
ONCA 25-68 (sponsored by Congressman Eli Potts) is “An Act to establish a rental assistance program for elders.”
ONCA 25-71 (Potts) is “An Act to amend the Treasury law (in the Osage code) to require the Principal Chief to appoint a Treasurer within 180 days.” Potts said the law’s intent is to avoid another situation where an Acting Treasurer was appointed in past years, who did not meet all qualifications to hold the position.
ONCA 25-72 (Potts) is “An Act to amend the Attorney General law to require the Principal Chief to appoint an Attorney General within 180 days; to amend (Osage law) to state that only the Attorney General may issue Attorney General opinions.” Potts said the bill places a four-year term limit on the Attorney General, where the officeholder is first appointed by the Principal Chief and then subject to confirmation by Congress to serve a full term. He added the bill also prohibits the office from adopting opinions written by outside legal counsel versus the AG’s office.
ONCA 25-78 (Revard) is “An Act to amend ONCA 24-72 to provide a supplemental appropriation to the Hominy and Pawhuska Village Committee Funds in the amount of $20,000.” Revard said the additional funding goes toward the two villages’ facility and operational costs ahead of the annual Inlonshka dances.
ONCA 25-81 (Potts) is “An Act to amend ONCA 24-73 to provide a supplemental appropriation to the Executive Branch in the amount of $50,000.” According to the bill, the budget change will be reflected in the Housing Assistance portion of the current fiscal year Executive Branch budget.
ONCA 25-63 (sponsored by Congresswoman Maria Whitehorn) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate $250,000 to the tobacco retailers who are owed money pursuant to law.” Whitehorn said the bill’s intent is “to reimburse the retailers their portion of the rebate funds (for the first three months in 2025) in accordance with ONCA 25-40,” which was passed in the March Special Session.
ONCA 25-70 (Potts) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $750,000 to Manzeska Ota Tsi (Place to Borrow Money) as loan capital for the purpose of home mortgage loans, rehabilitation loans and refinance loans.”
ONCA 25-55 (sponsored by Congresswoman Alice Goodfox) is “An Act to establish a food assistance program that will provide a food benefit through the Butcher House Meats and Harvest Land to eligible Osages annually; and to establish an alternate effective date.” Goodfox said the proposed program is “a brand-new venture” that would start on June 1, 2026, to allow for service preparation as the two entities will need to prepare their facilities, which includes additional products, equipment and freezer space and updated budgets to reflect the program.
ONCA 25-77 (sponsored by Congressman Billy Keene) is “An Act to amend the Osage Nation Election Code.” Keene was absent at the time of the bill vote, but the bill was discussed at the Congressional Government Operations Committee level. At the committee meeting, Keene invited Election Supervisor Alexis Rencountre to discuss the proposed changes, which deal with the timeline of events and deadlines, including absentee ballot mailing days, primary election dates and candidacy filing times.
All passed legislation items were sent to Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear’s office for consideration of signature.
For more ON Congressional information on sessions, committees and to view filed legislative bills and resolutions, visit the Legislative Branch website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
