North Carolina SB 655: Extend Certain Rights to Catawba Nation.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025

SESSION LAW 2025-57
SENATE BILL 655

*S655-v-5*
AN ACT TO EXTEND CERTAIN RIGHTS TO THE CATAWBA INDIAN NATION.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. Chapter 1E of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Chapter 1E.
"Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.Indians and Catawba Indian Nation.
"Article 1.
"Full Faith and Credit.
"§ 1E-1. Full faith and credit.
(a) The courts of this State shall give full faith and credit to a judgment, decree, or order
signed by a judicial officer of either (i) the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians or (ii) Catawba
Indian Nation and filed in the Cherokee Tribal Courts or Catawba Nation Tribal Courts to the
same extent as is given a judgment, decree, or order of another state, subject to the provisions of
subsections (b) and (c) of this section; provided that the judgments, decrees, and orders of the
courts of this State are given full faith and credit by the Tribal Courts of the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians.Indians and the Tribal Courts of the Catawba Indian Nation.
(b) Judgments, decrees, and orders specified in subsection (a) of this section shall be
given full faith and credit subject to the provisions of G.S. 1C-1705 and G.S. 1C-1708 and shall
be considered a foreign judgment for purposes of these statutes.
(c) Any limited driving privilege signed and issued by a Judge or Justice of either the
Cherokee Tribal Courts or Catawba Nation Tribal Courts in accordance with the applicable
provisions of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes and filed in the Cherokee Tribal Courts Clerk's
Office or Catawba Nation Tribal Courts Clerk's Office shall be valid and given full faith and
credit as specified in subsection (a) of this section. For purposes of this subsection, any reference
to the issuing "judge" or "court" in the applicable provisions of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes
shall be construed to mean the appropriate Judge or Justice in the Cherokee Tribal Courts or
Courts, Catawba Nation Tribal Courts, or the appropriate Cherokee or Catawba Tribal Court.
"§ 1E-2. County services.
A county is not compelled to provide services on lands held in trust by the United States for
the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, except for public health or human services traditionally
provided by county agencies and not otherwise assumed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians, unless there is an agreement between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the
county describing each party's responsibilities. The agreement must be approved and signed by
the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on behalf of the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians and must be signed by the county manager or delegated department head. The
agreement may be effective for a definite period of time or an indefinite period of time, as
specified in the agreement.
"Article 2.
"Tribal Law Enforcement Authority.
"§ 1E-10. Tribal law enforcement.

Page 2 Session Law 2025-57 Senate Bill 655
(a) Except for the sections listed in subsection (b) of this section, Article 13 of Chapter
160A of the General Statutes is applicable to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.Indians and
Catawba Indian Nation.
(b) The following provisions of Article 13 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes shall
not apply to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians:Indians and Catawba Indian Nation:
(1) G.S. 160A-283.
(2) G.S. 160A-286.
(3) G.S. 160A-287.
(4) G.S. 160A-289.1.
"§ 1E-11. Application and meaning of terms.
For purposes of the application of the applicable provisions of Article 13 of Chapter 160A of
the General Statutes, the following terms contained in Article 13 of Chapter 160A of the General
Statutes shall be construed as follows:
(1) City. – To mean the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.Indians and Catawba
Indian Nation.
(2) Council or governing body. – To mean the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians.Indians and the Executive Committee of the Catawba
Indian Nation.
(3) City clerk. – To mean the clerk of the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of
the Cherokee Indians.Indians or of the Executive Committee of the Catawba
Indian Nation.
(4) Corporate limits of the city. – To mean the boundaries of the trust lands of the
Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians or of the Catawba Indian Nation
wherever located within the State of North Carolina.
(5) Law enforcement agency or local law enforcement agency. – To include the
Cherokee Police Department, the Cherokee Marshals Service, the Tribal
Alcohol Law Enforcement Division of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee
Indians, and the Natural Resources Enforcement Agency of the Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians.Indians, the Catawba Indian Nation Tribal Police
Department, and the Catawba Indian Nation Marshals Service.
"§ 1E-12. Qualification of law enforcement officers; limitations of authority.
(a) For purposes of this section, "law enforcement officer" means any person appointed
or employed as (i) Chief of Police of the C