Senate Bill 704, titled the Ronnie Long No Cap Act, is a compensation and support bill for people who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in North Carolina. The bill would remove the current $750,000 cap on compensation paid to eligible exonerees by the Industrial Commission, allowing awards of $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment, including time spent awaiting trial, without an overall maximum. It also makes the change retroactive to prior awards, but only for claimants who are still living when the act becomes law.
In addition to changing monetary compensation, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to seek federal approval to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible exonerees regardless of income, resources, or assets. It also requires the Department of Adult Correction to provide transition services upon release, with a focus on housing, employment, and basic sustenance, and allows the department to contract with other entities to deliver those services. The bill caps the cost of these transition services at $25,000 per person and requires reporting to legislative oversight committees on Medicaid approval or denial and associated state costs.
Impact
The bill would amend G.S. 148-84 to eliminate the statutory ceiling on compensation for wrongfully convicted persons and would add a new G.S. 148-84.1 creating a state duty to provide transition services to exonerees. It also directs DHHS to pursue a Medicaid eligibility change through a federal waiver or state plan amendment, potentially expanding coverage for exonerees outside normal financial eligibility rules. The measure would affect the Industrial Commission, DHHS, the Department of Adult Correction, and state budget obligations, including possible retroactive payment exposure for living prior claimants and new reporting requirements to legislative committees.
Sentiment
The bill’s framing and sponsor list suggest strong sympathetic support for exonerees and a reform-oriented intent to address perceived inadequacies in current compensation law. The bill text itself emphasizes justice, loss of liberty, and the need to help wrongfully incarcerated people rebuild their lives, indicating a favorable policy posture toward expanded benefits. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented opposition or formal vote history in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main point of contention is fiscal: removing the $750,000 cap could significantly increase state compensation liability, especially for long-term exonerees, and the Medicaid expansion could create additional state costs depending on federal approval and matching funds. Another likely issue is the retroactive application to prior awards, which could raise questions about reopening settled claims, though the bill limits that retroactivity to living claimants. The bill also places a hard cap on transition-service spending, suggesting an effort to balance expanded benefits with cost controls.
Individual income tax: home heating credit; adjustments based on Detroit Consumer Price Index; change to United States Consumer Price Index. Amends sec. 527a of 1967 PA 281 (MCL 206.527a).