The Seventh Osage Nation Congress will convene for its 2022 Hun-Kah Session starting March 28 and will consider various legislative bills now on file or held from prior sessions.
Established in the 2006 Osage Constitution, the 24-day Hun-Kah Session is the first of two regular legislative sessions held yearly where legislative and other business items are up for consideration of action by the 12-member Congress. This will also be the final regular session of the current Congress with six seats opening in the June 6 General Election and those members will take their oaths of office on July 9.
As of Feb. 1, the following legislative items are now on file with the Congressional Office:
ONCA 21-31 (sponsored by Congresswoman Paula Stabler) is an act “to establish a structural and procedural framework for a new Osage Nation Health Care System.” Stabler filed the bill for the 2021 Hun-Kah Session, where it was postponed after several Congressional Health and Social Services Committee meeting discussions.
The bill is now listed on a Feb. 2 HSS committee agenda and seeks to establish the health care system known as Si-Si A-Pe-Txa (The Healing Place) as an unincorporated business responsible for operating ON health care services including the Wah-Zha-Zhe Health Center, the Primary Residential Treatment Center, the ON Counseling Center, the Prevention program, the Community Health Representative program, and the Public Health Nurse. A board of directors would oversee the proposed health system with its members appointed by the Principal Chief and confirmed by Congress.
“The purpose of this law is to establish a structural and procedural framework that both fosters Si-Si A-Pe-Txa’s accountability to the Nation and provides sufficient flexibility to enable the Enterprise to operate autonomously, efficiently and effectively in order to improve the quality of health care provided to the Osage people,” the bill states.
ONCA 22-24 (Congressman RJ Walker) is an appropriation bill requesting $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for Hulah Water District #20 water system maintenance and improvement costs.
ONCA 22-25 (Walker) is an appropriation bill requesting $150,000 in tribal funding for Phase 1 design and construction costs for an ON shooting complex. If approved, the funding would be placed in the Nation’s capital asset fund.
ONCA 22-26 (Walker) is an appropriation bill requesting $6 million in ARPA funding for building/ design costs of a new Congressional/ Legislative Branch building. The Congressional office and meeting spaces are currently on the ground floor of the former First National Bank building now owned by the Nation and renamed the ON Capitol Building. In recent years, Congress has shifted its sessions to meet virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as building maintenance issues.
ONCA 22-27 (Congressman John Maker) is an appropriation bill requesting $104,793 in tribal funds for the Hominy Ranchers’ Rural Fire Department to purchase a fire and water truck. For more information on the Legislative Branch, filed legislative bills/ resolutions and committee meetings, visit: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
