Legislation from U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman that would change tribal enrollment rules for the Catawba Indian Nation has advanced out of committee and is headed to the House floor.
Based on a release from U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05).
WASHINGTON — H.R. 4463, legislation to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993, advanced through the House Committee on Natural Resources this week and is now headed to the House floor for consideration, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
The 1993 Settlement Act restored federal recognition to the Catawba Indian Nation, resolved longstanding land claims, and established provisions governing tribal membership and governance, according to Norman’s office.
H.R. 4463 would remove the federal requirement that individuals seeking tribal enrollment have maintained continuous political relations with the tribe. Under the bill, eligibility would instead be based on lineal descent, giving the Catawba Nation greater authority to set its own membership policies consistent with its constitution and current federal policy on self-determination, according to Norman’s office.
“South Carolina’s Catawba Nation has a long and important history in our state,” Norman said. “My bill respects tribal self-governance while ensuring federal law reflects the realities of today. I appreciate the work of the Committee on Natural Resources in moving this bill forward, and I look forward to its consideration on the House floor.”
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman also praised the bill’s advancement.
“I thank Rep. Norman for his leadership in advancing targeted updates to the Catawba Indian Nation’s settlement statute, empowering the Nation to modernize its citizenship requirements in a manner that reflects its own values and priorities,” Westerman said. “Rep. Norman’s work reflects a thoughtful approach to honor historic commitments while supporting stable, self-governed decision-making within the Tribe.”
