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HF3000 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Payment of preliminary monetary damages to certain exonerated individuals authorized, exoneration compensation account in the special revenue fund established, and money appropriated.

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to address the issue of compensating individuals who have been wrongfully convicted and subsequently exonerated. It seeks to provide a quicker financial remedy and establish a dedicated account to ensure the availability of funds for such compensations.

Main Provisions

  • Eligibility for Exoneration Compensation: Individuals who have been exonerated can receive compensation when prosecutors support that the charges against them were likely not warranted. This support would make them eligible for compensation without further legal proceedings. If the prosecutor does not join, the court can still determine eligibility based on innocence.

  • Preliminary Monetary Damages: If a prosecutor agrees to join a petition for exoneration before its filing, the exonerated person is entitled to immediate preliminary monetary compensation. This includes $5,000 for each year of wrongful incarceration and $2,500 for each year served under supervised release or as a registered predatory offender. These damages are adjusted for partial years.

  • Exoneration Compensation Account: The bill creates an exoneration compensation account within the special revenue fund. This account will be used specifically for paying preliminary monetary damages.

  • Funding of the Account: Initially, $250,000 will be transferred from the general fund to the exoneration compensation account. As payments are made, funds will be replenished from the general fund to maintain a constant balance of $250,000.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

  • The bill introduces preliminary monetary damages for exonerated individuals, which is a new provision aiming to provide immediate financial relief.
  • It establishes a formal exoneration compensation account in the special revenue fund, creating a structured financial mechanism for handling exoneration claims.

Relevant Terms

exonerated individuals, compensation, preliminary monetary damages, exoneration compensation account, wrongful conviction, special revenue fund, supervised release, registered predatory offender, prosecutor joinder, innocence establishment.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 31, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toPublic Safety Finance and Policy

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill modifies compensation eligibility for exonerees under section 590.11.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies the process for prosecutors to join petitions for exoneration in the interests of justice."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "590.11",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill amends the notification process for compensation awards under section 611.365.",
      "modified": [
        "Adds an exclusion for preliminary monetary damages from existing finalization procedures."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "611.365",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 4"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This relates to the burden of proof in compensation cases for exonerees under section 590.04.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies the procedure for determining eligibility for compensation when prosecutors do not immediately join the exoneration petition."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "590.04",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3"
  }
]

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