People who were unknowingly sterilized by North Carolinas Eugenics Board program have until June 30 to submit a claim for compensation.

The state Office for Justice of Sterilization Victims, which received 376 claim forms from potential Eugenics Board sterilization victims, as of March 31. Among those, 199 were forwarded to the N.C. Industrial Commission to determine whether the claimants are eligible for compensation.

It is heartening that people are coming forward and making claims," Gov. Pat McCrory said in a statement. While the physical and emotional effects of forced sterilization are immeasurable, compensation is a small tangible way of showing support for the burdens they were forced to carry.

The 2012 Governors Eugenics Compensation Task Force found that 7,600 North Carolinians many of whom were poor, sick or disabled were sterilized by force or coercion under the authorization of the Eugenics Board from 1929-74.

Females made up 85 percent of sterilization victims in North Carolina. Blacks and Native Americans made up 40 percent, according to the task forces report. Task force researchers found some victims or their families were threatened with losing welfare benefits.

The Office of Justice for Sterilization Victims, established last year as part of the Department of Administration, is collecting documentation and helping individuals with their claims. Completed forms and documentation are sent to the Industrial Commission, which determines eligibility. The state is providing $10 million in compensation to be divided equally among certified living claimants. The payout is scheduled for June 30, 2015.

For more information, including claim forms, visit the Office for Justice of Sterilization Victims online or call (919) 807-4270.

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Deadline set for sterilization claims