Senate Bill 477 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 9-8-108, to expand the eligibility criteria for compensation claims by individuals who have been wrongfully imprisoned. The bill adds provisions to allow claims from those whose sentences are vacated under specific laws where actual innocence is determined, in addition to those granted exoneration. It also modifies the process for claims in the event of the claimant's death, allowing surviving spouses or children to file claims, and stipulates how remaining payments should be distributed among them.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a one-year deadline for filing compensation claims from the date of exoneration or dismissal of charges, with a provision for individuals whose convictions were vacated before the bill's effective date to also file within one year of the act's enactment. These changes aim to ensure that more individuals wrongfully imprisoned can seek compensation and clarify the process for their families in the event of the claimant's death.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 9-8-108(a)(7), 9-8-108, 9-8-108(a)(7)(C), 9-8-108(a)(7)(F)