AN ACT to make a clarifying change to the laws relating to the confirmation of an arbitration award under the family law arbitration act.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 50‑53 reads as rewritten:
"§ 50‑53.  Confirmation of award.
Unless the parties agree otherwise, upon a party's application, the court shall confirm an award, unless within time limits imposed under G.S. 50‑54 through G.S. 50‑56 grounds are urged for vacating or modifying or correcting the award, in which case the court shall proceed as provided in G.S. 50‑54 through G.S. 50‑56. The court may award costs, as provided in G.S. 50‑51(f), of the application and subsequent proceedings."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of May, 2003.

	s/	 Marc Basnight
	 President Pro Tempore of the Senate

	s/	 Richard T. Morgan
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 5:44 p.m. this 20th day of May, 2003