If any person shall willfully and corruptly swear falsely to any fact material to the investigation of any matter before any committee or commission of either house of the General Assembly, he shall be subject to all the pains and penalties of willful and corrupt perjury, and, on conviction in the Superior Court of Wake County, shall be punished as a Class I felon. (1869-70, c. 5, s. 4; Code, s. 2857; Rev., s. 3611; C.S., s. 4366; 1977, c. 344, s. 4; 1979, c. 760, s. 5; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1316, s. 47; 1981, c. 63, s. 1, c. 179, s. 14; 1993, c. 539, s. 1204; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)