HB 394 — Official State Cookie.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2019 H 23 HOUSE BILL 394 Committee Substitute Favorable 5/1/19 Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 5/6/19 Short Title:

Official State CookieCookie. & Battleship.

March 21, 2019 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT ADOPTING THE MORAVIAN COOKIE AS THE OFFICIAL STATE COOKIECOOKIE. ANDTHEUSSNORTHCAROLINA(BB-55)ASTHEOFFICIALSTATEBATTLESHIP.

and Whereas, the USSMoravian Northcookie Carolinashould (BB-55)be becameadopted theas firstan ofofficial 10State fastsymbol; battleships to join the American fleet during World War II;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) was commissioned on April 9, 1941, and was considered the world's greatest sea weapon;

and Whereas, during the war, the crew of the USS North Carolina (BB-55) consisted of 144 commissioned officers and 2,195 enlisted men, including about 100 Marines;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area of operations and earned 15 battle stars;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina(BB-55)served as atrainingvessel formidshipmen before being decommissioned on June 27, 1947;

and Whereas, in 1958, citizens of North Carolina began a statewide campaign known as Save Our Ship (SOS) to save the ship from being scrapped;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) was moored in Wilmington on October 2, 1961;

and Whereas, on April 29, 1962, the ship was dedicated as a historic landmark, a museum collecting and interpreting all ships named "North Carolina," and as a memorial to the World *H394-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 War II veterans and the 11,000 North Carolinians of all branches of service who died during the war;

and Whereas, in March 1986, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) became one of 22 ships to be registered as a national historic landmark;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) is a State historic site and a major tourist attraction, bringing in between $1.5 to $3.5 million annually to the State and local economy and attracting over 250,000 visitors;

and Whereas, the USS North Carolina (BB-55) accounts for over 3,500 jobs in New Hanover County each year;

and Whereas, the Moravian cookie and the USS North Carolina (BB-55) should be adopted as official State symbols;

SECTION1.SECTION 1.

Chapter145oftheGeneralStatutesisamendedbyaddingnewsectionsChapter 145 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

The Moravian cookie is adopted as the official cookie of the State of North Carolina.Carolina." SECTION 2.

"§ 145-53.

Official State battleship.

The Battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) is adopted as the official warship of the State of North Carolina." SECTION 2.

Page*H394-v-3* 2 House Bill 394-Second Edition