H.R. 4463 · Passed House · Native Americans

To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

Sponsor: Ralph Norman (R-SC)

What it does

• Removes federal restrictions on the Catawba Indian Nation's ability to set its own tribal membership requirements.
• Allows the tribe to establish membership criteria without requiring continuous political relations with the tribe.
• Grants the Catawba Indian Nation authority to determine eligibility rules for tribal enrollment.

Official summary

This bill revises tribal membership requirements for the Catawba Indian Nation (a tribe in South Carolina). The Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 explicitly restricted the tribe’s future membership to lineal descendants of people on the final base membership roll who maintained continuous political relations with the tribe. This bill removes these membership criteria and allows the tribe to determine its membership. (The tribe uses three base membership rolls and anyone who wants to be enrolled must prove lineal descent from someone listed on one of these base membership rolls.)

Latest action

Jun 3, 2026: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Committee: Senate Indian Affairs