GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2003
SESSION LAW 2003-87
HOUSE BILL 355
AN ACT TO OFFICIALLY DESIGNATE THE INDIANS PREVIOUSLY RECOGNIZED IN THE GENERAL STATUTES AS THE INDIANS OF PERSON COUNTY AS SAPPONY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 71A-7 reads as rewritten:
"§
71A-7. Indians of Person County; The Sappony; rights,
privileges, immunities, obligations, and duties.
The Indian Tribe now residing in Person County, officially
recognized as the Indians of Person County by Chapter 22 of the Public-Local
Laws of 1913, The Indians who are descendants of those Indians
living in Person County for whom the High Plains Indian School was established,
shall, from and after July 20, 1971, February 3, 1913, be designated
and officially recognized as the Indians of Person County, North Carolina, Sappony,
and shall continue to enjoy all their rights, privileges, and immunities as
citizens of the State as now or hereafter provided by law, and shall continue
to be subject to all the obligations and duties of citizens under the
law."
SECTION 2. G.S. 143B-407(a) reads as rewritten:
"§ 143B-407. North Carolina State Commission of Indian Affairs - membership; term of office; chairman; compensation.
(a) The State Commission
of Indian Affairs shall consist of two persons appointed by the General
Assembly, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the State
Employment Security Commission, the Secretary of Administration, the Secretary
of Environment and Natural Resources, the Commissioner of Labor or their
designees and 21 representatives of the Indian community. These Indian members
shall be selected by tribal or community consent from the Indian groups that
are recognized by the State of North Carolina and are principally
geographically located as follows: the Coharie of Sampson and Harnett Counties;
the Eastern Band of Cherokees; the Haliwa Saponi of Halifax, Warren, and
adjoining counties; the Lumbees of Robeson, Hoke and Scotland Counties; the
Meherrin of Hertford County; the Waccamaw-Siouan from Columbus and Bladen
Counties; the Indians of Person County; Sappony; the Occaneechi
Band of the Saponi Nation of Alamance and Orange Counties, and the Native
Americans located in Cumberland, Guilford, Johnston, Mecklenburg, Orange, and
Wake Counties. The Coharie shall have two members; the Eastern Band of
Cherokees, two; the Haliwa Saponi, two; the Lumbees, three; the Meherrin, one;
the Waccamaw-Siouan, two; the Indians of Person County,Sappony,
one; the Cumberland County Association for Indian People, two; the Guilford
Native Americans, two; the Metrolina Native Americans, two; the Occaneechi Band
of the Saponi Nation, one, the Triangle Native American Society, one. Of the
two appointments made by the General Assembly, one shall be made upon the
recommendation of the Speaker, and one shall be made upon recommendation of the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Appointments by the General Assembly shall
be made in accordance with G.S. 120-121 and vacancies shall be filled in
accordance with G.S. 120-122."
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 19th day of May, 2003.
s/ Marc Basnight
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
s/ Richard T. Morgan
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Michael F. Easley
Governor
Approved 11:05 a.m. this 29th day of May, 2003