[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4063 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4063

   To authorize grants for programs that provide support services to 
                               exonerees.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 2007

Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Norton, Mr. Fattah, 
 Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Towns, Mr. Rush, Mr. 
   Hastings of Florida, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. 
  Grijalva, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. 
 Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. Bishop of Georgia) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize grants for programs that provide support services to 
                               exonerees.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Restitution for the Exonerated Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Exoneree Services Grants Authorized.--The Attorney General may 
award grants to eligible organizations to carry out programs that 
provide support services to exonerees.
    (b) Grant Period; Renewability.--A grant awarded under this section 
shall be for a period of one year, and may be renewed for subsequent 
one-year periods as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Emergency Grants.--The Attorney General may award an emergency 
grant under this subsection to an eligible organization that is 
receiving a grant under subsection (a), in addition to such grant under 
subsection (a), if the Attorney General determines that there is a 
systemic problem related to the provision of exoneree support services 
in the geographic region serviced by such organization, and that there 
is a need to address such systemic problem immediately by increasing 
the resources available to such organization. Such an emergency grant 
shall be used by the eligible organization to address the immediate 
need for support services for exonerees in such region, shall be 
awarded for a period not to exceed 6 months, and shall not be 
renewable. An eligible organization may not receive more than one 
emergency grant under this subsection.

SEC. 3. GRANT USES.

    A grant under this section shall be used by an eligible 
organization--
            (1) to carry out a program that provides and coordinates 
        the delivery of support services for exonerees, including--
                    (A) employment training;
                    (B) vocational training;
                    (C) education;
                    (D) health care services;
                    (E) mental health services;
                    (F) housing assistance;
                    (G) substance abuse training;
                    (H) legal assistance;
                    (I) children and family support; and
                    (J) other appropriate services, as determined by 
                the Attorney General; and
            (2) for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the 
        program described in paragraph (1), including staff salaries, 
        research, and training.

SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--To request a grant under this Act, an eligible 
organization shall submit an application to the Attorney General at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Attorney General may require. Such application shall--
            (1) describe the program to be funded by the grant, and the 
        need for such program;
            (2) describe a long-term strategy and detailed 
        implementation for such program;
            (3) identify the governmental and community agencies with 
        which the program will collaborate, and that the program will 
        utilize to enhance exoneree services; and
            (4) describe the methodology and outcome measures that will 
        be used to evaluate the effectiveness of such program.
    (b) Application Deadlines.--The Attorney General shall solicit and 
review applications for grants under this Act at least once during each 
six-month period.
    (c) Priority Based on Need.--In awarding grants under this Act, the 
Attorney General shall give priority to eligible organizations that 
serve geographic regions that have the greatest need for exoneree 
support services, as determined by the Attorney General.

SEC. 5. REPORTS.

    For each year in which an eligible organization receives a grant 
under this Act, the eligible organization shall submit a report to the 
Attorney General that describes the program carried out by the 
organization with such grant, and evaluates the effectiveness of such 
program during such year.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible organization.--The term ``eligible 
        organization'' mean any nonprofit organization that--
                    (A) has experience and expertise in coordinating 
                and delivering support services specific to the needs 
                of exonerees; or
                    (B) demonstrates the capacity to effectively 
                coordinate and deliver such support services, as 
                determined by the Attorney General.
            (2) Exoneree.--The term ``exoneree'' means an individual 
        who--
                    (A) has been convicted by a Federal or State court 
                of an offense that is punishable by a term of 
                imprisonment that is equal to or greater than one year;
                    (B) has served a term of imprisonment of at least 6 
                months in a Federal or State prison or other 
                correctional facility as a result of such conviction; 
                and
                    (C) has been determined to be factually innocent of 
                such offense.
            (3) Factually innocent.--The term ``factually innocent'' 
        means, with respect to an individual who has been convicted of 
        an offense described in paragraph (2)(A), when one or more of 
        the following has occurred:
                    (A) A court has issued a factual finding of 
                innocence.
                    (B) The Governor of the State in which the 
                individual was convicted has issued a pardon based on 
                the facts of the offense for which the individual was 
                convicted.
                    (C) The conviction has been vacated or reversed by 
                a court.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$1,250,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012. Amounts 
authorized under this section shall remain available until expended.
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