A bill that would give as much as $500,000 to people wrongly imprisoned has been advanced to the final round of debate in the Legislature.

Under an amendment that also advanced, there would be no minimum amount an inmate would get.

The original bill from Sen. Kent Rogert of Tekamah promised $50,000 for each year a person was wrongly jailed, and an earlier amendment changed that to $25,000 a year.

The new amendment also requires former inmates to prove their innocence. It wouldn't be enough for their sentences to be thrown out.

And those who falsely confessed couldn't get payments unless they could prove they were coerced by law enforcement.