Substitute House Bill No. 7251, now Public Act No. 25-57, revises the eligibility criteria and procedures for individuals seeking compensation for wrongful incarceration through the Claims Commissioner. The bill establishes that individuals are eligible for compensation if they have been convicted of a crime, served part or all of their sentence, and their conviction has been vacated or reversed on grounds of innocence or serious misconduct by state officials. It clarifies that "grounds consistent with innocence" includes substantial evidence of innocence, whether previously available or newly discovered, and modifies the claimant's burden of proof to allow for the presentation of evidence regarding factors affecting their claim, such as damage to reputation and the severity of the crime.

Additionally, the bill outlines the compensation determination process, granting the Claims Commissioner authority to award compensation based on a formula linked to the median family income, with adjustments for relevant factors. It introduces a requirement for claims involving expenditures of $1.5 million or less to be submitted to the General Assembly for review and establishes a two-year deadline for filing claims based on pardons or dismissals. The bill mandates that individuals receiving compensation must sign a release of further legal actions against the state related to their wrongful conviction and clarifies that damages awarded from actions against other government entities will offset the compensation received. Furthermore, it allows estates of deceased claimants to pursue compensation if the claim was pending at the time of death and ensures that claims submitted outside regular sessions will be considered at the start of the next session.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 54-102uu
JUD Joint Favorable Substitute: 54-102uu, 52-557f
File No. 807: 54-102uu, 52-557f
File No. 942: 54-102uu
Public Act No. 25-57: 54-102uu