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Committee increases wrongful‑conviction compensation cap to 15 years, reports bill as amended
Summary
Senate Bill 125 would raise the compensation cap under the state's wrongful‑conviction compensation statute from 10 to 15 years of the statutory benefit (estimated ~$40,000 per year); committee adopted an amendment clarifying effective dates and reported the bill favorable.
Senate Bill 125, sponsored by Senator Boudreau and carried in committee, would raise the maximum wrongful‑conviction compensation cap for qualifying innocent people who were wrongly incarcerated from the current 10 years to 15 years of the statutory annual compensation amount.
The sponsor described the statute's purpose—compensation for people who prove their innocence after wrongful imprisonment—and said the increased cap provides more support to people who lost decades. Committee discussion included an amendment adjusting effective date language and committee standard appropriation phrasing; the amendment was adopted and no committee objection was recorded. Members who spoke in support recounted constituents who spent decades incarcerated and said higher compensation acknowledges the state's responsibility.
Why it matters: Supporters said the state should provide meaningful assistance to people wrongly convicted to help them rebuild lives; opponents raised fiscal cost questions but no recorded opposition in committee emerged.
Next steps: The committee adopted the amendment and reported SB 125 favorable; the measure will proceed in the legislative process.
