Sponsors (3)
The bill restores membership rights and access to tribal services for Catawba descendants previously excluded from the 1993 roll, at the likely cost of greater demand on tribal resources and increased potential for internal governance disputes.
Descendants of the Catawba Tribe who were excluded from the 1993 base roll (including those not listed as lineal descendants) can enroll as tribal members, restoring legal membership rights and formal recognition.
Previously excluded descendants regain access to tribal benefits and services (such as healthcare, housing, education support, and other tribal programs) because the continuous political-relations requirement is removed.
Increasing enrollment eligibility may raise demand on tribal resources and programs, potentially diluting per-member benefits or services for current and new members.
Altering membership criteria could provoke internal disputes over rolls and governance, raising legal and administrative costs and straining tribal government operations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Removes a statutory enrollment restriction so the Catawba Tribe can enroll individuals who were not lineal descendants or who had not maintained political relations with the Tribe.
Removes a membership rule that prevented people who were not lineal descendants of those on the Tribe’s final base membership roll — or who had not maintained political relations with the Tribe — from enrolling. The change allows the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina to enroll individuals who were previously barred by that specific ancestry and political-relationship requirement.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Ralph Norman · Last progress June 3, 2026