On July 20, the Legislative passed Resolution 07-20-21 E
which states, "the Legislature, in light of the unprecedented
circumstances, ongoing fiscal concerns, and pursuant to its constitutional
authority, does hereby declare that zero per capita distribution will be made
to the 7,819 eligible tribal members on August 1, 2021..."
Since Fiscal Year 2020, the Nation has been cautious of its
expenses and operations as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and revenue
losses.
Gaming revenue funds per capita distributions. Effective no later than March 20, 2020, all
the Nation's casinos closed to the public and they began phases of opening on
June 29, 2020. To date, not all casinos are operating with full services.
The Per Capita Declaration for August 1, 2021 Resolution
passed by an affirmative vote 10 members, one opposed, and zero abstaining at
the regular meeting of the Legislature. No
announcements on decisions beyond the August 2021 distribution.
Tribal members are encouraged to apply for the general welfare
payments, also known as HELP, if they have not done so already.
HELP stands for Ho-Chunk Nation Economic Legacy
Project. The Legislature established
this project to achieve a social benefit and promote the Nation’s general
welfare. This project uses the tribe’s
NPD funding.
The HELP payments are $700 and scheduled for monthly
distribution until December 2021 to eligible Ho-Chunk Nation tribal members.