,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bggb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ba1
 #bjba,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself and  
,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a 
,,bill  ,to provide ,federal support to 
entities performing reviews of wrongful 
convictions4  #a4 ,short title ,this    
,act may be cited as the ,conviction    
,integrity ,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,grant   
programs to ensure case review1         
representation1 and provide             
post-conviction relief  7a7 ,purpose    
,the ,attorney ,general shall administer
 grant programs within the ,bureau of   
,justice ,assistance1 to encourage the  
review of possible cases of wrongful    
conviction and facilitate               
post-conviction relief by establishing  
or expanding ,state and local conviction
 integrity units and by providing       
high-quality representation for         
defendants litigating post-conviction   

claims of innocence4  7b7 ,conviction   
integrity unit grants  7#a7 ,eligible   
entity defined ,in this subsection1 the 
term eligible entity means a            
prosecutor's office or a ,state attorney
 general's office that may work in      
partnership with a nonprofit            
organization1 law school innocence      
clinic1 or public defender's office     
dedicated to receiving petitions for or 
reviewing wrongful convictions and      
wrongful sentences4  7#b7 ,authorization
 ,the ,attorney ,general1 acting through
 the ,director of the ,bureau of        
,justice ,assistance1 shall make grants 
to eligible entities for the purpose of 
creating ,state and local conviction    
integrity units or entities4  7#c7      
,application requirements ,each         
application for a grant under this      
subsection shall-- 7,a7 demonstrate a   
plan by the applicant to create1        
maintain1 or expand a ,state or local   
conviction integrity unit with the      
intention to conduct substantive1       

evidence-based conviction review2  7,b7 
develop a tool to survey or conduct     
focus groups with community members1    
non-profit organizations1 or public     
defender offices dedicated to receiving 
petitions for or reviewing wrongful     
convictions1 and existing local         
,conviction ,integrity ,units in order  
to identify-- 7i7 the needs of          
individuals or their counsel seeking    
review of their convictions or          
sentences2 and  7ii7 the needs of       
existing local conviction integrity     
units and non-profit organizations or   
public defender's offices dedicated to  
receiving petitions for or reviewing    
wrongful convictions2  7,c7 use the     
information gathered under subparagraph 
7,b7 and conviction integrity unit best 
practices to advise procedural conduct  
in conviction review2  7,d7 develop     
procedures to ensure that conviction    
integrity unit is able to operate       
independently in rules and practice from
 the other units within the district    

attorney's offices or any prosecutors   
previously involved with the case2  7,e7
 in the case of a prosecutor's office   
that cannot meet the requirement in     
subparagraph 7,d7 because of the size of
 the office1 provide a written policy   
detailing reasonable steps that shall be
 taken to preserve independence and     
ethical integrity during the            
investigation2  7,f7 allow for          
meaningful participation in the review  
process by petitioner's counsel2 and    
7,g7 develop victim notification        
procedures for final exonerations as    
appropriate4  7#d7 ,preference ,in      
awarding grants under this subsection1  
the ,attorney ,general shall give       
preference to applicants who demonstrate
 a partnership with a nonprofit         
organization1 law school innocence      
clinic1 or public defender's office     
dedicated to receiving petitions for or 
review wrongful convictions and wrongful
 sentences4  7#e7 ,authorization of     
appropriations ,there are authorized to 

be appropriated #aj1jjj1jjj for each of 
fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbg to     
carry out this subsection1 of which not 
more than #e percent of the grant       
funding shall be used for training and  
technical assistance for grantees4  7c7 
,wrongful conviction review grants  7#a7
 ,eligible entity defined ,in this      
subsection1 the term eligible entity    
means a non-profit organization1        
institution of higher education1 or     
,state or local public defender office  
that has in-house post-conviction       
representation programs that show       
demonstrable experience or competence in
 litigating post-conviction claims of   
innocence4  7#b7 ,authorization ,the    
,attorney ,general shall establish a    
wrongful conviction review grant program
 and award grants to eligible entities  
for the purpose of providing            
high-quality post-conviction            
representation for defendants in        
post-conviction claims of innocence4    
7#c7 ,use of funds ,a grant awarded     

under this subsection shall be used to  
support an eligible entity in           
providing-- 7,a7 post-conviction legal  
representation of innocence claims2     
7,b7 case review1 evaluation1 and       
management2  7,c7 experts2  7,d7        
potentially exonerative forensic        
testing2 and  7,e7 investigation        
services related to supporting these    
post-conviction innocence claims4  7#d7 
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated       
#cj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    
#bjbb through #bjbg to carry out this   
subsection4