Lumbee Fairness Act

The Lumbee Fairness Act would extend federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, making tribe members eligible for the same federal services and benefits available to members of other federally recognized tribes. The bill specifies that members residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina would be included in the service delivery area. If enacted, the Department of the Interior and Department of Health and Human Services would need to work with the tribe to determine what services the tribe needs and is eligible to receive.

The bill would also allow the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the tribe's benefit. Additionally, it would establish that North Carolina would have jurisdiction over criminal offenses and civil cases on tribal lands in the state, unless the tribe and state agree to transfer that jurisdiction to the federal government. Currently in committee, the bill has not yet been voted on by the full Senate.