SB 1359 Summary

• Establishes a compensation program for individuals wrongfully convicted and imprisoned, requiring claimants to prove by preponderance of evidence that they did not commit the crime, were not complicit, and did not cause their own conviction.

• Awards damages of $65,000 per year of imprisonment plus at least $25,000 per year for parole, community supervision, or sex offender registration, paid as an initial lump sum (up to $100,000 or 25% of award) plus an annuity not exceeding $80,000 per year.

• Provides additional relief including attorney fees (up to $25,000), counseling, housing assistance, financial literacy assistance, state employee health insurance coverage, and tuition assistance for up to 130 credit hours at Arizona universities or community colleges.

• Requires courts to issue a certificate of innocence and order expungement of convictions and arrest records from all state and federal systems, with notice to relevant agencies including the FBI and Department of Corrections.

• Sets a two-year statute of limitations from the date charges are dismissed, defendant is acquitted on retrial, or defendant is pardoned, with an extended deadline of July 1, 2021 for those convicted and released before July 1, 2019.