Governor McCrory Signs Bill Supporting Eastern Band Of Cherokee Nation | Eastern North Carolina Now

 Cherokee, N.C. — Governor Pat McCrory signed into law today a bill authorizing the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to establish a police department, a tribal alcohol law enforcement division, a natural resources law enforcement agency, and a probation and parole agency through the Cherokee Marshal's Office.

 "Nothing compares to North Carolina's rich Native American heritage and culture," Governor McCrory said. "I am proud to sign this law that will help our state, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, protect people, protect our environment, and uphold the law."

 The governor signed the bill at the new Cherokee Indian Hospital which will open next month. The governor toured the state-of-the-art facility and met with tribal leadership before signing the legislation.


 North Carolina is home to more than 122,000 Native Americans, the largest Native American population east of the Mississippi River.


 Under this bill and previous guidelines, the chief and law enforcement officers of the police department must comply with the training and standards for police officers in North Carolina.

 The Cherokee Marshal's Office is authorized to have access to all probation and parole records of the NC Department of Public Safety to the same extent as a probation or post-release supervision office of DPS for any individual over which the Cherokee Tribal Courts have jurisdiction to try and impose a sentence upon.

 This also grants full faith and credit to any limited driving privilege signed and issued by a Judge or Justice of the Cherokee Tribal Courts and filed with that court.


N.C. Senator Jim Davis, Gov. McCrory and Chief Patrick Lambert
 Governor McCrory also signed the following bills into law.

• H.B. 765 | Regulatory Reform Act of 2015 — A bill to provide further regulatory relief to the citizens of North Carolina by providing for various administrative reforms, by eliminating certain unnecessary or outdated statutes and regulations and modernizing or simplifying cumbersome or outdated regulations, and by making various other statutory changes.
• H.B. 712 | Pilot Project/Used Needle Disposal — A bill to direct the State Bureau of Investigation, in consultation and collaboration with the NC Harm Reduction Coalition, to establish and implement a used needle and hypodermic syringe disposal pilot program. Initially the pilot will operate in two counties, but the SBI may select up to four counties if the pilot is successful.
• S.B. 195 | Motor Vehicle Service Agreement Amendments — A bill to provide a legal framework for the sale and regulation of motor vehicle ancillary anti-theft protection contracts in North Carolina.
• H.B. 361 | Principle-Based Reserving/Revise Ins. Laws — A bill to provide for a principle-based reserving approach to valuing life insurance reserves in North Carolina and make minor conforming changes to the Standard Nonforfeiture Law. The bill also makes clarifying and conforming changes to various provisions of North Carolina's insurance laws, as requested by the Department of Insurance.
• S.B. 238 | Stalking by GPS/Criminal Offense — A bill to provide that a person commits the offense of cyberstalking if the person knowingly installs or places a tracking device without consent and uses the device to track the location of an individual. The bill allows various exceptions for law enforcement and parents or legal guardians.
• S.B. 379 | Cemeteries Located on State Property — A bill requiring each State agency to identify and inventory all known cemeteries on State lands allocated to that agency, and provide that inventory listing to the State Property Office and the Department of Cultural Resources. The bill further authorizes State agencies to allow family members or other interested persons to maintain cemeteries.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov